A week-long workshop has begun in Tamale with the aim to strengthen partnership between Swiss Red Cross and Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) to engage in disaster risk reduction to save lives.

It is being attended by a delegation of Swiss Red Cross from Africa and Middle East.

The delegation will visit West Mamprusi, North Gonja, and Central Gonja Districts to engage with community disaster preparedness and response teams to understand their operations for further support.

Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, President of Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), who opened the workshop in Tamale, catalogued some of the disasters that occurred across the world, saying the GRCS had advanced and built capacity in the area of disaster risk reduction to help save lives in the country.

Dr Agyekum Addo said “In the Northern and Upper East Regions, the GRCS has partnered with the regional and district authorities and communities to develop a Disaster Management Framework, which identifies community threats, actions required to address them, and responsibilities amongst others”.

He also spoke about some of the interventions of the GRCS, which included vision project, where over 15,000 people had their sights restored.

The rest are neonatal, maternal and child health, road safety, community-based health, first aid and youth entrepreneurial skills development.