Executive Director of the National Population Council, Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, has questioned whether the African culture of a handshake, is relevant in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

She highlighted on this probing issue, while touching on the Covid-19 and culture change with the need to adhere to basic principles in science.

According to her, Covid-19 is changing a lot of our valued cultural practices in Ghana, including shaking of hands at durbars and other social functions.

The Executive Director underscored that, "evidence-based facts should be our culture and we must allow science to inform us but not our negligence."

Dr Appiah noted that it was important for us as individuals to allow science to shape our culture for quality human survival and improving quality of life as Ghanaians.

“Despite our cherished cultural practices, we must acknowledge the power of science and its interference on our culture because culture is dynamic,” she reiterated.

The Physician gave an admonishing that, Ghanaians must adhere to preventive measures by not shaking hands because the consequences of shaking hands are spreading the virus and increasing the Covid-19 cases.

To break the transmission, she emphasised that we must avoid shaking hands as well as avoiding body contacts.

She noted that, the Bible says we should always prepare for the rainy day, so Ghanaians must observe precautionary measures by living in tranquillity to boost the immune system in order to make the cells function effectively.

She further added that, we must always be ready to prevent health issues by practising basic things including personal hygiene and cleanliness in our society, and that would be the hallmark for living a life void of infections.

“When the pandemic is over, we must learn from it in order to be incorporated in us that washing of hands with soap under running water is necessary for our human existence,” she said.

The Physician advised all to begin to think about the life of the Ghanaian and implement effective legislation that would help manage the population to adopt family planning as part of our culture.

This she said, would eliminate poverty out of Ghana and would enhance a healthier living among individuals in the society.

Dr Appiah indicated that, science helped us to eradicate small pox among other diseases and science is helping us to eradicate Covid-19, so we must let science guide us in reproductive health also.

“Containing and eradicating Covid-19 is necessary and urgent but prioritising reproductive health services and family planning necessary and important,” she noted.

Considering the combat of the spread of Covid-19 as a multi-sectorial approach, she entreated organisations to contribute their quota in battling this pandemic out of the country.