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Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye has charged politicians to help intensify the education on wearing the face masks as they move to do their house-to-house campaign for the 2020 general elections.

According to him, the various researches carried out by credible institutions like the IPSO and the Ghana Statistical Service have shown that the awareness level of the pandemic in the country is 100 as many Ghanaians are aware of the Covid-19 except that few people are complying with the safety protocols put up by the government and the Ghana Health Service.

“Since the pandemic broke out, in Ghana, a lot of researches have been carried out and so we have an organization called IPSO, a credible international organization did a research work and told us that in Ghana, the awareness level is 100 percent meaning that every Ghanaian is aware of the Covid-19 pandemic but when it comes to complying with the safety protocols, the figure is down. Ghana Statistical Service also researched and came out that the awareness level is also 100 percent but again when it comes to people going by the safety measures put in place by the government, it is low”, he stated on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show.

In view of the available data on the usage of the face masks, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye hinted that Ghana Health Service supported the implementation of the safety protocols by carrying out a small survey in August at locations like the market places, lorry parks, and the hotspots areas to see the compliance of the safety protocols.  

therefore, the result of the August survey was that 82 percent of the people have the intention to wear the face masks; this means that they have the face masks but when it comes to those who wear them correctly, the number is down. We have published the August report and we will be doing this every month.

The Leader of Risk Communication for Covid-19 National Response Team has hinted that the Director-General has tasked all the regions to do that survey to see how people are adhering to the safety protocols in the country.

He however pleaded with the media, the chiefs, politicians, and everybody to at this point in the fight against the plague join the advocacy of wearing the masks and doing it correctly as people step out to go to work.

“If you are a politician and you are going to do your house-to-house campaign, when you get there, tell the people that virus is still with us and encourage the people to wear their face masks. Media personalities should use their medium to constantly remind Ghanaians that the Covid-19 still exists; it is not yet gone but lives in our midst and so people should always wear their face masks when they step out of their houses”, he charged.

“Pastors in their churches should use that opportunity to tell their congregants that the virus still exists. We should protect ourselves by wearing face masks and continue with the practice of social distancing. With this, we will all see that the education will be intensified and the infections will be reduced in the country”, he assured.