By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Abuadi, July 21, GNA – Mr Samuel Yao Atidzah, Executive Director of GOSANET Foundation, on Monday said epidemic preparedness was a shared responsibility and called on communities to work together to prevent and respond effectively to public health emergencies.
“By working together, we can build resilient communities that are better prepared to prevent and respond to future public health emergencies,” he said.
Mr Atidzah made the remarks during the Foundation’s community engagement programme at Adaklu Abuadi in the Adaklu District.
He said the Foundation’s epidemic preparedness initiative sought to equip communities with the knowledge and practical skills needed to prevent, detect and respond effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.
He noted that preventing epidemics began with well-informed and empowered communities, adding that community education remained one of the most effective tools for preventing disease outbreaks.
The Executive Director said when people understood how diseases spread and the measures required to prevent them, they became active partners in protecting public health.
He said the programme complemented the efforts of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and aligned with Ghana’s National Health Security Agenda.
Mr Atidzah said the Foundation had been conducting intensive health education campaigns in churches, mosques, schools, markets and communities across the district.
He said the education focused on hand hygiene, vaccination, environmental sanitation, food safety, respiratory hygiene, early reporting of suspected illnesses and prompt access to healthcare services.
Mr Atidzah said the Foundation had also intensified the use of community information centres and local radio stations to disseminate accurate and timely public health messages.
“These community platforms play a vital role in combating misinformation and ensuring that preventive information reaches people in both rural and hard-to-reach communities,” he said.
Mr Atidzah said the Foundation had integrated epidemic preparedness into its ongoing interventions, including malaria prevention, tuberculosis case finding, HIV prevention, maternal and child health, and immunisation promotion.
“This integrated approach enables communities to receive comprehensive health education while strengthening community-based disease surveillance,” he said.
He said community volunteers trained by the Foundation continued to support household education, identify public health concerns, encourage early referrals to health facilities and promote healthy behaviours that reduced the risk of disease outbreaks.
Mr Atidzah commended the Ghana Health Service, the Adaklu District Health Directorate, traditional authorities, religious leaders, community volunteers, the media and development partners for their continued collaboration in safeguarding public health.
He urged residents to remain vigilant by observing proper hygiene practices, participating in vaccination programmes, maintaining clean surroundings and promptly reporting suspected disease outbreaks to the nearest health facility.
Mr Atidzah reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening epidemic preparedness and community resilience in the Adaklu District and the Volta Region through sustained public health education, community engagement and strategic partnerships.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Audrey Dekalu
