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Dalex Finance and Leasing Company Limited (DALEX), a wholly Ghanaian non-banking financial institution, has initiated an �Ebola Education Fund� to be used for a national public education campaign on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). With a donation of GH�100,000.00 to kick-start the fund, DALEX, which is working together with Business and Financial Times (BFT), with the support of the United Nations Children�s Fund (UNICEF), Ghana hopes to raise private sector money to fund a proactive public education. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DALEX, Mr Kenneth Kwamina Thompson, said the initial target of the fund was GH�1,000,000.00, and appealed to private companies in the country to donate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to the project. Other partners UNICEF is providing communication content for the campaign and advisory services, while BFT will lead the media effort and manage the fund. The initiators of the Ebola Education Fund are concerned that the current public education on the Ebola Disease is too slow and limited in scope. According to Mr Thompson, the potential consequences of the Ebola outbreak on the already weak Ghanaian economy could be stark. �The effect of a declaration of medical emergency and the associated quarantine of areas in Ghana or even the whole country could be devastating on the Ghanaian private sector,� he stated. Effect of Ebola on economy The setup of the fund was motivated by a shared concern that the potential effect of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak on the already soft Ghanaian economy could be severe, and �we strongly believe that a valuable tool in helping to prevent an outbreak of the disease in Ghana is a proactive nationwide education campaign,� said Mr Thompson. �This is not the time to wait on the government or to moan about the slow reaction of the Ministry of Health. This is time for a privately funded, quick reaction, national programme, incorporating radio, TV, information vans, posters, and SMS messages to educate the public on the Ebola Virus Disease,� he emphasised. Mr Thompson indicated that DALEX had already provided 10,000 educational flyers to be distributed through its sales force of over 1,000 sales executives countrywide. He explained that the fund would have an initial mandate of 60 days and may be continued for an additional 30-day period. Thereafter, there would be 30 days in each instance of an extension. The fund accepts contributions from the private and public sector such as corporate and non-governmental organisations. Individual donors and contributors will be recognised as partners of the fund. Mr Thompson also said upon the completion of the education campaign, the fund would cease to exist. After the accounts had been audited, all unused funds would be donated to the Princess Marie Louise Children�s Hospital in Accra, children�s wards of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Tamale Teaching Hospital and the Volta Regional Hospital, Ho. These health facilities would be required to undertake clearly defined priority projects or procure vital equipment to support healthcare delivery, he added.