Christian International Youth Club, a non-governmental organisation, on Tuesday held a Youth Arise conference and Talent Expo 2014 to enhance knowledge on Ebola and Cholera.

Pastor Aba Wood Eshun, Founder of the club, said the idea to organise the fourth youth conference was based on the gap in knowledge and information delivery to the youth when it comes to the two diseases, hence the need to organise it even though the club had less fund.

The theme for the conference was: “For lack of knowledge, my people perish,” which attracted students from various junior high schools.

Speaking to GNA in an interview, Pastor Eshun said the club would focus on promoting peace next year when it organises the fifth youth conference since the country would be heading towards the 2016 general election.

Dr Jimmy Heyman, who chaired the function, said it is good for all young persons to strive for knowledge while in schools.

Sharing his own experiences to motivate the students, he said it was through the quest for knowledge that made him attain his position as a medical doctor and a former Ambassador of Ghana to South Africa.

Talking about cholera, he said, its causes are poor personal hygiene and environmental uncleanliness.

Madam Evelyn Tabil of the Health Promotion Unit, Ministry of Health said the Ebola virus unlike other viruses is very deadly and stays a long time on non-living things.

Advising the students on the disease, he said it has symptoms such as vomiting, bleeding from the nose and ears, diarrhoea, headache and high body temperature.

She advised them to be careful and avoid body contacts since one is not contagious until signs and symptoms of Ebola are shown on the person.

“One can be infected with Ebola by coming into contact with fluid from an infected person such as vomit, urine, sweat, saliva, stool, semen and blood. Semen containing the virus lives up to 90 or 100 days to lose its strength,” she added.

She said everybody is at risk of getting the disease and asked the students to wash their hands with soap and running water after attending any organised event since they cannot trust whoever they shake hands with.

Madam Tabil asked them to use hand sanitizer only when they have no access to water and soap and make sure they use much quantity of sanitisers that have at least 70 per cent of alcohol.

Speaking on cholera, she advised them to refrain from eating cold food and food sold closer to garbage or filthy gutters.

She explained that cholera is contracted through contact with bacterial from faeces in foods that people consume. She, therefore, asked the students to be cautious of food they buy from outside.

She also advised them to refrain from acts such as defecating into polythene bags and disposing them indiscriminately.

Madam Tabil urged them to boil and filter drinking water whenever they are unsure of the source of water.

“Although, sachet waters may be clean, one may not know how clean the hands of the sellers were before taking the water for you to drink. One cannot be sure if the sellers wash their hands with soap and water after easing themselves,” she said.

Nobel dancers and CIYC dancers entertained the participants with some dance steps and acrobatics.

Students from schools like La St Pauls Presbyterian, Prince Charles, La Presbyterian, Rapture International participated in the event as well as the talent and quiz competition.