As part of measures to help prevent any outbreak of the Ebola disease in Ghana, World Vision Ghana, a Non-governmental organization has launched an Ebola-preparedness project at the border town of Paga in the Kasena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.

The average Ebola Virus Disease case fatality rate according the World Health Organization is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.

In Ghana, more than a hundred suspected Ebola cases have all tested negative but the high possibility that the disease could enter the country at any time cannot be overruled.

To help the country in its preparedness to be able to contain any Ebola outbreak, World Vision Ghana, an NGO working to defeat poverty through education, health and nutrition, water, food security and micro-enterprise development, has launched a project at the Kasena-Nanka West district, aimed at improving the awareness of community members about the Ebola Virus Disease.

The project is supported by the Canada fund for local initiative.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the National Director of World Vision Ghana, Benedicta Pealore, a World Vision worker said Paga which is the capital of the Kasena-Nankana West District was chosen for the Ebola intervention, mainly because it is the major entry point for Ghana’s northern neighbors.

World Vision also presented 44 bicycles, safety boats and torchlights, 10 pieces of non-contact thermometers and 100 pieces each of hand gloves, nose masks and hand sanitizers worth 38, 000 Ghana Cedis to facilitate the work of community volunteers in the implementation of the Ebola preparedness project in 20 high-risk communities in the Kasena-Nankana West district.

The occasion of the project launch was also used to demonstrate to community members, how effective hand-washing which has been identified as a way of preventing one from contacting or spreading Ebola, is done.

Presiding Member for the Kasena-Nakana West District Assembly on behalf of the District Chief Executive, thanked World Vision Ghana for bringing such a project to the district.