Sir Dr Edward Gyaderi, a retired Surgeon has appealed to the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD) to lead research into finding out indigenous fruits in northern Ghana that can help build a strong human immune system.

He said this would enable the people to depend on their local fruits to boost their immune system against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sir Dr Gyaderi who said this during CIKOD's Community COVID-19 support sensitization for Traditional Authorities in the Nandom Municipality, noted that fruits such as orange, banana, and avocado pear among others were not locally grown in the north, hence, were not affordable and easily accessible to the ordinary rural folks.

He said in the North, wild fruits were abundant with unknown nutritional values, stressing that a study that would expose the nutritional values of these wild fruits to the people would be highly appreciated.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, Sir Dr Gyaderi who is also a former member of the Council of State lauded CIKOD for its decision to empower Chiefs to lead the community sensitization against the global pandemic.

"When Chiefs and Queen mothers speak to their subjects in their language, they will understand and willing to comply", he said.

The renowned Surgeon stressed on the fact that the disease had no cure yet, adding that the best alternative now was to educate the populace on how to protect themselves.

"We are fighting a world war, an enemy we cannot see and we must be innovative in our approaches", he said.

Sir Dr Gyaderi explained that the handwashing with soap under running water was important because "the coronavirus was covered by a thin layer of fat and if you do not use soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, you cannot dissolve it".

He appealed to the chiefs to take the message and endeavor to preach it to their Community people to protect them.

Mr Daniel Banuoku, Deputy Executive Director of CIKOD-North noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the weaknesses of many countries and they must begin to rethink the kind of priorities they set for themselves as nations.

He said in times such as these, required internal innovation because no one country could rely on the other to come and solve its problems, stressing that countries that would fail to come up with innovations to fight the pandemic would suffer grievous consequences.

He said the implementation of the COVID-19 community support project goal was to strengthen the capacities of local and traditional authorities in the Lawra and Nandom Municipalities in the Upper West Region for them to provide effective leadership in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in their respective Communities.

Mr Banuoku noted that the project would among other things inaugurate community COVID-19 volunteers in eight communities to help enforce national protocols at the local level as well as distribute sanitation and hygiene materials to eight communities and traditional authorities.

The 20,000.00 dollar project is being implemented by CIKOD and Groundswell International with funding from the 11th Hour Project.