MARIATOU JALLOW

Mariatou Jallow, born on October 12, 1954, in Bathurst, now known as Banjul, is a Gambian politician and physician. Jallow pursued her education at notable institutions including the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and the University of Toronto.

Around the year 2000, Jallow held the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), currently known as the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital. During a government crackdown in April 2000 that resulted in multiple individuals being treated for gunshot wounds, Jallow withheld medical records to prevent patient transfers to other countries. In a 2019 testimony before the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), she acknowledged the illegality of her actions but cited potential reprisals from President Yahya Jammeh as her reason.

After a stint at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare starting in February 2006, Jallow was appointed Medical Director of the RVTH in November 2007, taking over from Malick Njie. A year later, on November 25, 2008, she was appointed by President Jammeh as Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, replacing Malick Njie.

Her tenure as Secretary of State ended in October 2009, when she was succeeded by Abubacarr Gaye. Jallow's involvement in former President Jammeh's controversial Presidential Alternative Treatment Program to cure AIDS/HIV patients drew criticism, as she admitted before the TRRC in 2020

Reference: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariatou_Jallow