Seventy medical practitioners and supporting staff have been trained in risk communication and public health education on COVID-19.

It was organised by Vodafone Ghana Foundation in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The training was led by Dr DaCosta Aboagye, the Director of Health Promotion of the GHS, and Leader of the National Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation Committee on COVID-19.

It was to broaden the knowledge and understanding of the medical professionals on the pandemic to promote public education, assess and direct calls appropriately to the surveillance and case management teams as necessary.

In view of the many materials making rounds on social and traditional media purporting to educate the public on the disease, some of which are misleading, Dr Aboagye stressed the need to use only approved materials from the Ministry of Health and the GHS for public education.

To this end, the Health Promotion Team of the GHS has developed special materials in the form of posters, leaflets, banners, pull-ups and billboards for the purpose of education, and encouraged other relevant organisations wishing to customise same to do so.

Dr Aboagye said effective communication using media tools would help create public awareness and the necessary behavioural change in the fight against COVID-19.

He sensitised the participants on how to handle the emergency call centre (112), the Vodafone Foundation medical help line (255) for COVID-19 related emergency and (311) for general information on the pandemic.