United Against Ebola Campaign launched

The “United Against Ebola Campaign, Ghana Chapter” has been launched in Accra to mobilise financial and material support to assist Ebola victims in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The objective of the campaign is to educate Ghanaians on how to protect themselves and their families against the Ebola virus.

Send-West Africa, Trades Union Congress and the Civic Forum Initiative launched the campaign which is intended to be citizen driven, expressing solidarity to the people of the three West African countries.

The Coalition of United Africa Against Ebola, is made up of groups and institutions including National Charismatic Council, Office of the Chief Imam, Ahmadiyya Mission, Send Africa, IDEG, Citizen Forum, among others, have come together to launch the initiative aimed to demystify the Ebola viral disease which has been scaring many people in the world.

Mr Siapha Kamara, Chief Executive Officer of Send-West Africa, said as part of the Campaign, massive education would be embarked upon to educate the people that Ebola is preventable and when people observe cleanliness and report to health centres on time upon suspicion of the disease, they could help protect themselves while infected persons could also survive.

He said Ebola has been known to be infecting mainly poor people in mostly poor communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, while many people dying from the disease are poor, living in overcrowded communities.

“Ebola is about the poor living in Africa that is why we need to take the education among the poor and tell them that Ebola is viral and can be transmitted easily but we can prevent it,” Mr Kamara said.

He said the campaign would target ordinary citizens and corporate bodies who would be urged to give out anything they could offer which would be sent or shipped to the three countries to support mainly orphans, widows and other victims of Ebola.

Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, General Secretary of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, who chaired the launch of the Campaign, expressed concern about the devastating effect of Ebola which is “wrecking havoc to families and societies”.

“We all should not joke with the disease but we have to join in and find solution and bring hope to the victims. We as religious people have to help in looking after the orphans and widows as our faith proclaims,” Apostle Antwi said.

Nii Afotey Botwe I, Divisional Chief of Otinor Nungua in Accra, lauded the Campaign and asked that traditional rulers should be brought on board to help in educating the people on the disease.