COVID-19: Foundation Trains Public Health Promoters In Ebonyi

• COVID-19, Ebonyi

The Development Integrity Goals-Foundation (DIG-F), a Non-Governmental Organisation, on Thursday trained 15 Community Inter-Religious Public Health Promoters in Ebonyi.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the people were trained on skills for promotion and facilitation of public awareness on coronavirus pandemic and other public health concerns.

The DIG-F Executive Director, Mr Oliver Aja, said at the event in Abakaliki that the training anchored on “Facilitating Awareness and Inter-Religious Response on Public Health Concerns (FAIR-PHC) in Nigeria”.

Aja said that COVID-19 had become a global challenge with the attendant economic, social and health constraints, hence the importance of FAIR-PHC project.

He said that the lack of inter-religious synergy in response to public health issues, including the COVID-19 outbreak, posed a major challenge to the nation.

He said that the development had led to the non inclusion of religious leaders in the COVID-19 prevention programmes by the government.

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“If religious leaders, who are fully trusted by their congregations, are actively participating and building synergy with government and healthcare stakeholders, greater number of citizens will receive accurate information about public health concerns.

The DIG-F boss further said that “many religious leaders have numerous followers, who believe only in whatever they say or do”.

Aja said that poverty, ignorance and poor awareness about COVID-19, in addition to fake news and misinformation via the media also posed serious risk.

“This has led to low compliance level with COVID-19 precautionary measures put in place by the government.

“Hence, we believe that with greater sensitisation, the people will get more information and comply with precautionary protocols,” he said.