Education needed to fight Ebola – Christian Council

The Christian Council of Ghana is calling on the Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deliberately intensify public education and develop strong health systems across the country to fight against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease which is fast killing hundreds of people in the sub-region.

As a Council, we consider Ebola as a disease and not a punishment from God as some people are reportedly describing it. Therefore, to be able to fight against the epidemic successfully, the Council is of the view that, the myth about the disease must be demystified among the generality of Ghanaians.

In line with this, the Council is starting a sensitization programme within its member churches and on other platforms to complement efforts by the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in educating the general public on the Ebola Virus.

In pursuing this sensitization drive, we call on the Ministry of Health, WHO and other concerned organisations in Ghana to support the Council and other religious organisations in the country with the needed resources in our collective efforts against the disease.

The Council is of the conviction that, in order for us to avoid the epidemic from entering into the country through our various borders and halt its sporadic spread within the sub-region, the various Health Ministers within the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), must quickly come together to map out strategies and strengthen surveillance for the early detection and treatment of the virus within the sub-region. ECOWAS leaders must also show greater commitment to the fight against the disease by committing adequate funds and resources to finding solutions to the disease.

We also call on government to quickly train and equip community health workers in each region to be able to detect the Ebola virus for early treatment.

The Ministry of Health should immediately set up the treatment centres it plans to put up in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale to cater for the infected, in the event that the disease somehow finds its way into the country. It must quickly commit enough resources into a special fund to develop what it takes to fight the Ebola virus effectively.

The Council, however, commends the Ministry of Health for activating a screening system for all passengers, especially from countries that have recorded cases and for setting up the Inter-Ministerial Team to fight the disease in Ghana.

In all these, we will continue to pray and hope that our good Lord will deliver us and our brothers and sisters in other countries from this deadly disease and grant us the wisdom to find a lasting medical solution to it. We urge everyone to quickly seek for medical attention when they begin to detect symptoms of the disease, while we continue to pray for God’s intervention. We admonish everyone with Psalm 50:15 which reads; “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” S.G.D

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong General Secretary