RECOVERED COUPLE BECOME NCCE COVID-19 AMBASSADORS

The Upper East Regional Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in a bid to intensify efforts to reduce stigmatisation against coronavirus (COVID-19) survivors, has engaged the couple, Mr. Bernard Akumasi and Ms. Matilda Agamu, to act as Regional COVID-19 Ambassadors.

Mr. P. P. Apaabey Baba, the Upper East Regional Director led a team comprising of NCCE Regional Programme Officers, Mr. Christopher Adogmah, and Mr. Sammy Akolgo, and a Gruni radio staff, Ms. Rebecca Assibi, visited the couple at Zaare, a suburb of Bolga where the heavily pregnant Matilda Agamu lives with her mother.

After an initial interview with the couple, the team together with Matilda proceeded to the studios of Gruni FM where she gives an account of the ordeals she faced even before she was clinically declared COVID-19 positive by health officials. According to Matilda, even at the point where her blood sample was being taken, some individuals had already posted on Facebook declaring her COVID-19 positive. Matilda had to be tested four times before being declared negative together with her unborn baby. She recounted the harrowing stigmatisation she suffered at the hands of others but overcame it with supportive counseling and encouragement from family and friends. The team scored another radio interview at the GBC URA radio where Matilda via phone-in narrated her experiences.

As part of the strategy to increase sensitisation against stigmatisation of COVID-19 recovered and recovering persons, the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Commission is working to negotiate a collaboration with the Upper East Regional Hospital for the services of a psychologist to educate citizens on the effects of stigmatisation.

The NCCE has been undertaking rigorous campaigns to educate the general public on COVID-19, the effects of stigmatisation and violations of the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The Commission is urging citizens to adhere to all safety protocols to help fight against the disease.