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Ghana’s Ministry of Information and Health Service have completed a one-day Covid-19 awareness workshop for the Eastern Region House of Chiefs.
The workshop was chaired by His Royal Majesty, Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, President of the House of Chiefs of the Eastern Region.
In his opening remarks, Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, on behalf of his bosses, thanked President Akufo-Addo for his leadership in managing Covid-19 and the measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Ghana.
Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin recounted some of the mitigation measures implemented by the government through the Covid-19 relief package that includes the initial preparatory allocation of $ 100 million; provision of fifty percent (50%) of the basic salary for first-line health workers for six months; exemption from income tax for six months; free electricity; free water and a financial stimulus package for small and medium businesses, among others.
Additionally, Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin commented that the pandemic has brought with it the new normal that has affected the way we live and hold social gatherings such as funerals and religious activities.
“Today we all have to wear a mask every day, practice social distancing and good hand hygiene at all times,” he said.
Osagyefo promised to lead public education on the pandemic in the Eastern Region and encouraged his colleagues to replicate this across their various domains to promote community compliance with safety protocols.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Eric Kwakye Darfour noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused suffering among the population and has challenged the customs of society.
He said the government’s new strategy is to enhance greater community engagement to deepen awareness on how to maintain adherence to Covid-19 security protocols.
The workshop was led by the Director of Health Promotion of the Ghana Health Service and Leader of Risk Communication and Social Mobilization of the Ghana Covid-19 Response Team, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye.
His presentation focused on preventive protocols for Covid-19, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), stigmatization, health promotion, and prevention.
He said that while Ghana’s fight against the pandemic has been impressive, it is important to maintain the gains while maintaining compliance with security protocols.
Dr. Da Costa was concerned that failure to adhere to these protocols could lead to increased infections in the country.
“Mask use is reduced during the day, social distancing is not strictly followed, and the frequency of hand washing has also been significantly reduced. This image gives cause for concern ”.
Therefore, he commissioned the Chiefs and Queen Mothers to educate their subjects about Covid-19 and raise public awareness about the importance of wearing face masks.
Referring to stigma, Dr. Da Costa said: “The current Covid-19 outbreak has led to social stigma and discriminatory behaviors against individuals, communities, families, etc. infected and the impact is that it will essentially lead people to hide the disease to avoid discrimination, prevent people from seeking medical attention early, discourage healthy behaviors and affect the mental health of infected people.
Dr. Da Costa urged bosses and opinion leaders to do their part through all forms of participation with various groups in their localities in preventive measures for Covid-19 through community-based education.
Speaking to an Accra-based radio station, Dr. Dacosta said that the government will focus on a prevention and health promotion program called ‘The Wellness Program’ as a method for early detection of diseases with the goal of institutionalizing ‘prevention is better than cure’ in our healthcare system to support the provision of curative health care.
Dr. Da Costa said the program will provide a platform for all Ghanaians to check their health status at least once a year.
This program will also help profile Ghanaians for early disease detection and will also help reduce the high cost burden of disease for NHISs.
The media were urged to “help educate and encourage Ghanaians to exercise regularly; eat local foods and eat more fruits and vegetables, get enough rest and avoid stress.
Leading the delegation of the Ministry of Information was the Vice Minister of Information Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide and in his speech he asked the revered bosses to lead the deployment of the strategy of community participation and risk education to deepen awareness of Covid-19 in the maintenance of security protocols.
It extended the government’s recognition of the association with traditional authorities in the national development agenda, in particular its support in the application of the restrictions imposed during the blockade period.
Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide hinted that the government’s strategy was anchored on 5 main pillars.
- Limit the importation of Covid-19 cases
- Contain community spread to a minimum
- Provide optimal care to affected people
- Limiting the impact of Covid-19 on the socioeconomic life of Ghanaians
- Deepen our self-sufficiency and increase production capacity
He said the measures deployed by the government to combat the virus were necessary in the interest of public health.
He hinted that “the recovery rate has increased tremendously, as 29th Confirmed cases in September 2020 were 46,482 with a total of 45,651 recoveries with a 98% recovery rate. Active cases were 530 and 301 deaths.
“Around the world, there seems to be a second wave, so we must continue to strengthen our country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic to minimize the risk and negative impact posed by the disease.” Argument.
In his concluding remarks, Vice Minister of Information Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide noted that “despite the success in the recovery rate, we must protect ourselves from further spread in the community by strictly adhering to security protocols.” He thanked the bosses for their fundamental role in the fight against Covid-19.
