The Gambia has made notable progress in cardiac care, including the training of its first interventional cardiologist and the opening of a public cardiology unit in 2022. However, these developments are still very recent and limited in scale.
Dr Ceesay’s claim that The Gambia’s maternal mortality rate is 38% is incorrect. Official data from the World Bank and Macrotrends show the maternal mortality ratio at 354 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Malagen’s fact-check found that contrary to Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay’s claim, several Gambian opposition parties — including the UDP, PDOIS, GDC, GEP, and APP-Sobeyaa — have published detailed policy documents such as the Five-Point Agenda and Turn Around Blueprint. The minister’s additional claim that The Gambia is ranked 47th in the RSF World Press Freedom Index is also misleading, as the 2025 ranking places the country 58th globally and 10th in Africa.
Malagen found the claim to be false. The banner that sparked the rumour was linked to a side event at a continental human-rights meeting, not an LGBTQ+ conference in The Gambia.
A viral photo showing Kanifing Mayor Talib Bensouda and Councillor MC Cham Jr. appearing to kiss is digitally manipulated. The image, shared by a pro-NPP Facebook page, misled dozens of users who believed it was genuine. Using Google Images and TinEye, Malagen Media Monitoring traced the original photo to 2023, proving it had been altered.
Malagen verified Prof. Yerro Mballow’s claim that a kilogram of rice costs 78 dalasi and found it false. Market checks show prices range between 50 and 72 dalasi in Kombo and 70 to 125 in Basse.
Malagen verified that The Gambia’s poverty level is 53.4% — not 60% as claimed by Nenneh Cheyassin Secka on Sunu Reew.
Despite constitutional rights, peaceful protests in The Gambia are repeatedly met with police crackdowns, contradicting President Barrow’s claims.
We find that key institutions remain unestablished, TRRC recommendations are only partially implemented, and the continued arrests of peaceful protesters and journalists reveal a significant gap between government claims and reality.
This two-party contest is seen as a highly significant election that could mirror the direction of the forthcoming presidential elections next year. Two candidates are vying for the seat, one from the ruling National People’s Party and another from a former ruling party, the Progressive People’s Party.
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