Behavioural change project to combat coronavirus launched at Kpong

Engage Now Africa (ENA), a development-focused Non-Governmental Organization, in partnership with the Ensign College of Public Health, an academic institution with a mission of training competency-oriented public health professionals in Ghana and beyond, and Health2Go, a proven system that brings basic health services to communities on Wednesday launched its program to raise awareness of the general public on the need to adopt a behavioural change to combat the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the country.

The launch of the program at the Kpong lorry station on Wednesday, 12th August, 2020, according to the Country Director of ENA, Mrs. Cecilia Amankwah, was meant to officially unveil the organization’s relentless campaign aimed at advocating for the populace to appreciate the need for behavioural change as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

The organizations, as part of the launch, engaged strategic key stakeholders including the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, the officials of the health directorate, traditional leaders including chiefs and queen mothers and students through whom it hopes to disseminate its key messages to the larger community.

The program is being ran in three regions and eight districts of Ghana and has the slogan,” Coronavirus is real – change your behaviour; protect yourself”

Mrs. Amankwah said the disease was killing a lot of people and individuals need to love themselves by observing one of the surest means to win the war against COVID-19 which is to adopt personal behavioral change including observing all the safety protocols to stay safe.

“People should know very well that this virus is very real and its killing people globally, infecting a lot of people, distracting our way of life and they should just adhere to the COVID-19 protocols such as regular handwashing, wearing of face mask, the use of hand sanitizers and social distancing if possible,” she said.

Expressing her opinion on the role other NGOs should play in the pandemic, the Ghana Director of ENA said COVID-19 remains a war against every single human being on earth which requires a concerted collaboration from all stakeholders.

“Don’t fight this in solos but come together as NGOs, individuals, stakeholders and institutions to help put ideas together to fight the pandemic,” she said.

On his part, Dr. Edward Kofi Sutherland who is Medical Director of the Ensign College of Public Health and a supporting member of the program in corroborating the objective of the program, said safety protocols must be put together and constantly practiced since that is key to eradicating the virus.

“Coronavirus is real and every Ghanaian needs to understand that it is their individual responsibility to help reduce its spread in our communities,” he said.

He opines that though the government is doing its best to contain the pandemic in communities, it is up to other stakeholders within the communities to help with the education.

A resident nurse at the Ensign College of Public Health, Miss Rebecca Ametepe said the country was at the juncture where Ghanaians must adopt individual responsibilities to safeguard themselves against the pandemic.

The populace including students, she said must therefore adopt all the necessary protocols to prevent themselves from getting infected.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the Ensign College of Public Health led by Mr. Stephen Afakorzi in support of this drive pledged facemask and hand sanitizer donations to some basic and secondary schools within the municipality.

Assistant Director of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, Mr. Michael Tetteh Kwame who represented the Municipal Chief Executive for the Area, Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh said the assembly had embarked on a number of activities to ensure that the virus was contained and did not spread to other communities.

He was hopeful that, the education would go a long way to create more awareness on the COVID-19 in the municipality and urged all and sundry to abide by all the directives of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and the World Health Organization on the prevention of the virus in the various communities.

A Public Health Officer at the Ghana Health Service Directorate in the municipality, Miss Rose Lawer also condemned acts of stigmatization meted out to patients with the virus and urged the public to rather embrace and show love to the affected.

Various educational materials including flyers, banners, posters and PPEs such as face masks were distributed to key stakeholders in the various communities who are expected to engage on various outreach programs with facilitators to further educate the public on the disease.