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Urgent help
Talk is not an emergency service and cannot respond to a crisis. If you or someone near you is at immediate risk, contact one of these services directly.
112 also reaches the police. These numbers are free to call from any network in The Gambia.
Tell an adult you trust, today — a parent, a teacher, a health worker. If somebody is hurting you, it is not your fault, and you do not have to keep it a secret. You do not have to sort this out on your own.
The police, on 117
If somebody is hurting you, or you are not safe where you are, call 117 and tell them a child is in danger. It is free from any phone.
Department of Social Welfare
The government service that protects children. It handles abuse, neglect, being forced to marry, and children who are not safe at home. A teacher, a health worker or the police can contact it with you.
A teacher, or the head of your school
You can tell a teacher you trust. Schools can bring in social welfare and keep you safe while they do.
Your nearest health centre
A nurse or doctor can help you, including if you have been hurt, and can bring in social welfare for you.
The Gambia does not currently operate a dedicated 24-hour mental health crisis line. These are the services that can assess and refer you.
Tanka Tanka Psychiatric Hospital
The national in-patient psychiatric facility, in the West Coast Region. Referrals are usually made through a health centre or Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.
Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul
The main referral hospital. Its emergency department can assess a mental health crisis and refer onward.
Your nearest health centre
Major and minor health centres across all regions can make an initial assessment and refer you to mental health services.
Feeling overwhelmed, hopeless or unable to cope is a reason to reach out, not something to wait out. You do not need to be in crisis to deserve support.
You can book a session with a qualified provider through Talk, or speak to someone you trust — a family member, a friend, a teacher, a colleague, or a religious leader. Telling one person is often the hardest and most useful step.
About this page. Emergency numbers are the national services for The Gambia. Talk does not monitor this page, and submitting anything through the platform will not summon help. If something here is out of date, please tell us.