UNICEF Urges Urgent Action Following Scabies Outbreak at Gambian Boarding School

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has voiced deep concern over a recent scabies outbreak at Daara Madina Suwaneh Boarding School in Brufut, which has affected at least 57 children. The outbreak, reported by The Gambia’s Ministry of Health as of May 27, is linked to overcrowded and unhygienic living conditions, compounded by limited access to clean water, malnutrition, and other risk factors.

UNICEF is calling for immediate, coordinated efforts to protect vulnerable children across the country. It has reiterated its firm commitment to upholding the rights of every child, especially the most marginalised, in alignment with international and national child protection frameworks.

The organisation emphasises the urgent need for systemic reforms in child care institutions. Citing both the current outbreak and past incidents, such as the 2021 Bilal boarding school fire, UNICEF urges the Gambian government and partners to conduct nationwide inspections, enforce care standards, and invest in family- and community-based care alternatives.

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It also calls for stronger oversight, accessible support services, and child-friendly reporting mechanisms to ensure children in institutional and alternative care settings are safe, healthy, and supported. UNICEF stresses that protecting children is a shared responsibility and encourages the formation of a multisectoral coordination body led by the government to implement sustainable, rights-based solutions. “Protecting children requires collective, immediate action. No child should be left in unsafe or unregulated environments,” said Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF Representative in The Gambia.