Accra, Sept. 17, GNA – Traditional Leaders in the Greater Accra region have pledge to help promote the enforcement and adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols in their communities.
The leaders, comprising chiefs, queen mothers and Imams, said they would engage school children, market women and all persons in their communities on the need to get vaccinated and observe the safety protocols to prevent infection spread.
They made the pledge at a stakeholders meeting held by the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate (GRHD) in Accra to discuss ways to promote adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols.
The COVID-19 prevention protocols as approved by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) are the wearing of nose mask, observing social distancing, frequent washing of hands with soap under running water and the use of alcohol based hand sanitizers.
Dr Akosua Sika Ayisi, Deputy Director for Public Health, Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate, said a survey conducted by the GHS on adherence to the safety protocols showed that about 60 per cent of the population in the Greater Accra region wore nose mask and washed their hands regularly.
She said the survey however indicated that many people who felt unwell did not like to stay at home and also did not abstain from work if they had cold or flu like symptoms.
“About 70 per cent of people who had a cold or a flu still go to work or school and that is what leads to the coronavirus outbreaks in schools and at the workplaces.
She encouraged the public to quickly report to a health facility to be treated and stay at home if they felt unwell.
She said Ghana had acquired more COVID-19 vaccines which would soon be deployed for a mass vaccination of the public and urged all to get their jabs when the process begins.
GNA