Dr. Henry Seidu Danaa, Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, has urged chiefs not to sit on the sidelines but to get actively involved in the campaign to prevent the deadly Ebola fever.
To do this, they should strive to become sufficiently informed and have better understanding of the symptoms, mode of spread and what to do to avoid catching it.
He said it was through this that they could play meaningful role in the fight against the haemorrhagic viral disease that had already claimed over 4,500 lives, most of them in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Dr. Danaa made the call at a day�s seminar held in Kumasi under the theme �The environment, the case of the cholera and Ebola disease� for chiefs.
It was organized by the National House of Chiefs (NHC) with support from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German NGO.
The Minister said the responsibility for protecting the country from the Ebola outbreak, which is causing global anxiety, must not rest with the government alone.
All should accept to take the right steps and preventive measures to keep the nation safe from the disease - the deadliest to affect humans.
The chiefs were taken through the symptoms of not only Ebola but those of cholera and what to do to escape the infection.
Dr. Akosua Darkwa, Head of Health Surveillance, Ashanti Regional Health Administration, said people must protect themselves from the Ebola disease by observing preventive measures.
She advised that suspected cases should also be reported quickly to the nearest health facility.
Wulugu Naba Pugansoa, Naa Professor John S. Nabila, President of the NHC, urged the journalists to be responsible in their reports on the viral disease to starve off unnecessary panic.
They should make sure that they cross check their information with the appropriate authorities before going public.
Naa Prof Nabila said the chiefs were encouraged by the national response � creation of Ebola isolation centres in selected health facilities and the stepped up education campaign.
He drew attention to the need to focus efforts on the promotion of environmental sanitation, saying, more should be done to end the unhealthy practice of open defecation.
It is estimated that over 20 per cent of Ghanaians engage in the practice, something that creates conditions for the spread of cholera.
Dr. Gregor Ryssel, Resident Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, urged the traditional rulers to share the information with their people and pledged to continue to work together with them to bring progress.
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