By Michael Oberteye:
The National Disaster Management Organization in collaboration with UNICEF, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Veterinary Services, the Noguchi memorial Institute for Medical Research, has on Tuesday, the 22nd of December, 2015 held a sensitization workshop for media practitioners at the NADMO headquarters in Accra.
The purpose of the event which was to draw the media into the fight against the spread of the Avian Influenza (bird flu) as well as involve the media in the education drive, drew a fairly good number of a cross-section of media houses including print and the electronic (radio and TV). The one day workshop was intended to offer the opportunity to stakeholders to give a situational report on the Avian Influenza outbreak in Ghana, conduct risk communication and social mobilization training, highlight on the role of the media in controlling Avian Influenza as well as to understand why humans should be conscious of Avian Influenza.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Ebenezer Dosoo, the NADMO Deputy National Coordinator (technical) noted that the outbreak of the disease had adverse effects on all those involved in the value chain of poultry production as well as the economy. He further added that the work of all stakeholders involved in the fight against the disease would be in vain if the farmers and the consumers of poultry products were denied the necessary knowledge on the disease.
On her part, deputy minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Livestock, Dr. Hannah Bisiw said that the event was an important activity because the right and appropriate type of communication to the public on any disease, such as bird flu was key in its control and containment. She further noted that the outbreak of the disease caused huge financial losses since it affected both birds and humans. To buttress this point, she pointed out that government in this year paid an amount of Gh c 1,067,355 to 25 affected poultry farmers.
Miss Surani Abeyesekera from UNICEF said the right message must be given to the right people at the right time in order to curtail the spread of the disease. She noted that the media was their main partner in the fight against the bird flu while demanding to know what we learnt from previous outbreaks to guide us in the current and future outbreaks.
She noted that the country had seen 35 outbreaks between May and December, 2015 and entreated the media to join in the campaign.
Other speakers including, Mr. David Young, of FAO, Dr Paul Polkuu, Deputy Director, Veterinary Services Department, Dr. Affail Monney, president of the Ghana Journalists Association, Alhaji Abubakar Sufyan as well as Prof William Ampofo of Noguchi, noted that early reporting of symptoms and hand washing were important in the control of the disease. The speakers also said eating poultry products was not the problem but doing so rightly and safely.
Source: ritefmonline.org
