A scabies outbreak at Daara Madina Suwaneh, a Quranic school in Brufut Heights, The Gambia, has ignited outrage and demands for accountability from the Edward Francis Small Center for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ). On May 27, 2025, the Ministry of Health reported that 57 of 101 examined minors at the school were diagnosed with scabies, highlighting severe health risks exacerbated by inadequate medical care and poor hygiene conditions. The EFSCRJ has condemned the outbreak as a symptom of systemic failures by state institutions tasked with protecting children’s rights.
The Ministry of Health’s Tuesday statement detailed efforts to provide immediate treatment, improve hygiene, and curb the spread of the disease. However, EFSCRJ holds the ministries of Health, Children, and Justice, alongside the Gambia Police Force and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), accountable for what they call a “perennial dereliction of duty.”
They argue that the outbreak reflects a lack of monitoring and enforcement of standards mandated by Section 17 of The Gambia’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to health, hygiene, and safety.
The Gambia’s childcare facilities have been subject to scrutiny before. In October 2021, a fire at Bilal Islamic boarding school killed nine children, yet no one was held accountable.
In July 2022, Malagen’s investigative report exposed abuse and poor conditions at Penny Appeal care homes, with justice still elusive. Similarly, the 2022 acute kidney injury crisis, which claimed 70 children’s lives due to contaminated syrup, saw no full implementation of inquiry recommendations.
EFSCRJ points to these cases as evidence of recurring state failure to protect vulnerable children.
“Children have a right to the highest attainable standard of living,” the EFSCRJ stated, citing Gambia’s laws and policies. They argue that the absence of regular inspections allowed the scabies outbreak to go undetected, endangering 57 children. Section 199 of the Children’s Act mandates that the Directorate of Children’s Affairs inspect childcare facilities every six months, with the authority to suspend operations if the standards are not met. EFSCRJ asserts that consistent enforcement could have prevented such crises.
The organization issued six urgent recommendations: joint investigations by the ministries of Health, Children, the Gambia Police Force, and NHRC into the outbreak and the school’s conditions; prosecution of those responsible for negligence; immediate closure and disinfection of Daara Madina Suwaneh; nationwide inspections of boarding schools; enforcement of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare’s Minimum Standards of Quality Care; and continuous monitoring to protect children’s rights.
EFSCRJ emphasized that public institutions must diligently uphold citizens’ rights, leaving no space for neglect. “We will continue to monitor this matter to ensure transparency and accountability.”
The outbreak underscores the urgent need for systemic reform in The Gambia’s childcare facilities. As the Ministry of Health works to contain the crisis, EFSCRJ’s call for action resonates as a plea to prioritize the safety and dignity of the nation’s children, ensuring such failures are not repeated.
