Liberian founder and Presidential Candidate for the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Party, Mr. George Oppong Weah has in a partnership project with the United Nations assigned Ghanaian musician, Barima Sydney to head spear a massive campaign on the Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) outbreak.
The campaign theme song dubbed: ‘Ebola; Africa must stand and fight together’ was recorded under the cover of Lionel Peterson’s ‘Peace’ song.
The song which was played on BBC World Service for about 5 minutes on Tuesday is aimed at creating an all-embracing awareness on the outbreak of the deadly virus, Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), which has taken a severe turn of its outbreak in Liberia.
The artiste who has since 2004 been the composer of the CDC Party’s campaign songs was contacted over the weekend to lead the Ebola campaign team in Liberia expressed gratitude for the task giving him to help create awareness on the deadly virus in Liberia and Africa as a whole.
“I am grateful for being made the Ambassador to create extensive awareness through music, health talks and forums in Liberia that will as well detailed and enlighten neighboring countries on the deadly virus,” Barima Sydney said.
Although it is a joint project by Mr. George Oppong Weah and the United Nations, Barima Sydney indicated that he has discussed and presented the song to some officials at Ghana Health Service and other leading health sector organizations on Monday to use the theme song to create a more massive awareness in Ghana. “They are yet to give us feedback,” he said.
“With the neglection and mode of attending to affected persons in spacemen-like attire, the need to enlighten the public on preventive measures on the deadly virus, Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is very necessary but, unfortunately, in Ghana, although citizens are aware of its existence, the awareness created is on the low key,” he told GhanaWeb.com in an interview.
The deadly virus, Ebola HF had its first outbreak in a village in Congo Republic in 1977 and resurfaced on December last year, 2013 when a 2-year old girl died of a strange disease.
The ‘Ebola; Africa must stand and fight together’ campaign song produced under South Africa’s ‘Peace’ by cover by King Dey of the Sun City Studio.
The video to the campaign song will be shot in few days but with the cold reception from the Ghanaian Health sector, the campaign team; although a Liberian initiative is contemplating on whether to shoot the video in Ghana or Liberia.
Mr. George Oppong Weah is expected in Ghana today, August 14, to make the final decision with Barima Sydney and some members of the campaign team.
Comment with your suggestion if locations for the video to the campaign song should be from Ghana or Liberia.
Listen to ‘Ebola; Africa must stand and fight together’: