UNAIDS Ghana has signed a contract with the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) and The Coalition of NGOs in Health, to provide resources to step up efforts to contain any Ebola case that may rear its head in the country. 

The resources are earmarked for activities around information sharing, prevention and detection of the Ebola virus and issues around stigma.

Investment and Efficiency Advisor at UNAIDS Ghana, Helen Odido, before the signing noted that, like Ebola, HIV/AIDS reporting was very antagonistic and scary because information about the disease was not readily available; and this should not be the case for Ebola. 

The resources therefore she hoped will help “empower communities with the necessary information on prevention and detection and work to reduce stigma surrounding the epidemic.”  She emphasized that the work of GHANET and the Coalition of NGO’s in Health will accelerate progress towards knowledge acquisition and will equip health workers and members of the community with he necessary tools to eradicate the epidemic should it hit Ghana.

President of GHANET, Victor Ntumi in his remarks, promised they would ensure through their public health engagement that the targeted beneficiaries are reached with relevant up-to-date information on Ebola detection, prevention, screening and management. He also called for more collaboration to eradicate the disease going forward.

In her acknowledgement, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health, Harriet Nottinson, expressed gratitude for receiving some of the funding for the Ebola project and said they will “provide evidence based feedback on best practices” which she believed will “go a long way to help other sectors know not just the Ebola project but also Ebola sensitization.”  

Community Mobilization and Networking Adviser at UNAIDS, Dr Jane Okrah, said, she was grateful to the “UNAIDS team and the government of Ghana for the opportunity to extend the Ebola mandate in Ghana, as it will go a long way to stamp out Ebola from ever coming to this country.”