The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission

The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission is a program of the Institute for Community Evolution, a 501(c) 3 charitable organization.

Begun in 2022 with an exploratory/feasibility trip to the Edward Francis Smalls Teaching Hospital, The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission is a bidirectional project that explores working with global partners to understand and achieve health equity on both sides of the Atlantic.

Bridging Boundaries for Global Health Equity 

The inaugural project of the Institute for Community Evolution is The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission. Together with Sunu Reew, the University of The Gambia, Penn Global Visions, Penn Global Medical Group and The Edward Francis Smalls Teaching Hospital, we're fostering a new era of global healthcare collaboration.

Our team of 8 African American physicians, led by Dr. Carol, traveled to The Gambia this past January, representing the states of New Jersey, Virginia, New York,  Montana, Georgia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

On both sides of the Atlantic, we face challenges that threaten the health of a significant portion of our populations, such as:

1. Obesity
2. Diabetes
3. Coronary Artery Disease
4. Hypertension
5. Maternal/Child Health
6. Sickle Cell Anemia
7. Nutrition/Malnourishment
8. Cerebral Vascular Accident/Stroke

Both here in the United States and in The Gambia, we face similar challenges. While the US spends more healthcare dollars per capita than any other nation in the world, these healthcare dollars are not distributed equitably, and many, if not most, marginalized communities face the same challenges as people in developing nations such as The Gambia. The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission asks and seeks to answer the question:   For communities with limited resources, what are the creative solutions to create health equity and greater access to care and education for the affected population? In both The Gambia and marginalized communities in the US, we have to look at access to clean water, transportation, access to food, and mental health services. The medical school's mission is to train Gambian doctors who will stay in the country to serve the people of The Gambia. Here in the United States, we also explore how best to serve our marginalized /underserved communities. We suffer from structural racism on this side of the Atlantic and in The Gambia, they have also been impacted by colonialism which has impacted how services have been historically rendered.

By supporting the Institute for Community Evolution's The Gambia Collaborative Medical Mission, you become a catalyst for positive change, helping us shape a world where every community thrives through collaboration, empowerment, and compassionate care. Join us as we bridge boundaries for a healthier, more equitable world.