Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia registered eight new Kush-related distress cases in October 2025, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 161, according to the National Taskforce on Drugs and Substance Abuse.
In a statement issued by the Taskforce, Communications Officer Omar Conteh reported that as of October 27, 2025, health facilities across the country recorded eight new clinical cases linked to the illicit drug known locally as Kush.
To strengthen surveillance, the Ministry of Health developed and distributed a line-listing tool to enhance data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Conteh added that the government established an inter-ministerial task force comprising representatives from the health, security, civil society, international partners, and law enforcement sectors to ensure a coordinated response to the crisis.
The Taskforce, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Epidemiology and Disease Control (EDC) Programme, and the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), continues to monitor and coordinate the national response to what has become a major public health threat.
“No new Kush-related deaths have been recorded; the total remains at fourteen, maintaining a case fatality rate of 9.2 percent,” Conteh said. He revealed that DLEAG registered 30 new interdiction cases in October, raising the total number of individuals apprehended to 219—comprising 214 males and 5 females.
Among those interdicted are 152 Gambians, 54 Sierra Leoneans, 5 Guineans (Conakry), 4 Senegalese, 3 Nigerians, and 1 Guinea-Bissauan.
Authorities also seized 1.27 kilograms of Kush in October, bringing the total amount confiscated since the outbreak to 12.29 kilograms.
Conteh recalled that the EDC Programme was first alerted in February 2024 to a sudden surge in suspected Kush use in the Western-1 Health Region, where patients presented with symptoms such as severe pain, swollen tongues and lips, drooling, and restlessness.
By April 22, 2024, the country had recorded 153 cases and 14 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 9.2 percent.
Initially, cases were concentrated in Kanifing General Hospital, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, and Serekunda Health Centre, but recent reports show new cases emerging in Banjulinding, Sukuta, Brufut, Essau, New Yundum, Bundung Maternal and Child Hospital, Ndemban Clinic, and Faji-Kunda Health Centre.
Conteh commended health workers, law enforcement officers, and partners for their sustained efforts in combating the crisis. He urged communities, parents, and young people to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspected Kush use or distribution to the nearest health facility or security agency.
