Informal economy workers in Ashanti deepen knowledge in COVID-19

Dr Joshua Arthur, a Public Health Specialist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), has cautioned Ghanaians to discard the erroneous impression about the COVID-19 vaccines.

The conspiracy theories being propounded, according to him, lacked basis as scientific revelations attested to the efficacy of the vaccines in minimizing the threats posed by the novel coronavirus.

Currently, the Government of Ghana has approved various vaccines to be administered to the citizenry, including AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Modena, and Sputnik V.

“We have heard so many negative stories and myths about the vaccines, however, studies and evidence on the grounds have proved otherwise,” Dr. Arthur told participants at a two-day sensitization forum on COVID-19, in Kumasi.

The programme, organized by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in partnership with the Danish Trade Union Development Agency, targeted workers in the informal sector economy in the Ashanti Region.

It was intended to promote adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols, especially at the workplace, to enhance the protection and safety of the people.

The Ghana Health Service’s portal on the pandemic says as of Tuesday, September 14, 2021, the country had recorded more than 1, 090 COVID-19 deaths, with about 124, 000 confirmed cases.

Dr Arthur cited ignorance and superstition as the major contributory factor accounting for the reluctance of most people to get vaccinated.

Consequently, he lauded the leadership of the TUC for putting together the programme for those in the informal sector economy, who constituted the bulk of the country’s workforce.

Mr Joshua Ansah, Deputy Secretary-General, TUC, assured that the leadership would continue to advocate for the welfare and interest of workers both in the formal and informal sectors.

He said the sensitisation forum was designed to draw the attention of the workers to the devastating nature of the novel coronavirus, which had claimed many lives globally.

Mr. Eric Amoadu-Boateng, Head, Organizing Department, TUC, said a healthy economy was dependent on healthy people.

Therefore, workers in the informal sector economy had an obligation to follow strictly all the COVID-19 safety protocols for their wellbeing to enhance productivity.