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Second lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur

Ebola scare: 2nd lady refuses handshake with chiefs

The second lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, has defended her decision not to shake hands with Chiefs and residents in Ketu-North District in the Volta region.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur who attended a mini durbar organised to donate books and stationery to basic schools in Dzodze Ablorme, said she declined to shakes hands with the chiefs and people of the area as part of efforts to create awareness on the need for people to protect themselves against Ebola.

She said though Cholera and Ebola were not present in the area, there was the need for people there to cultivate the habit of not shaking hands in order to prevent the spread of the diseases.

“I’m not saying that there is Cholera or Ebola here, I’m saying that we as people who are teachers, traditional leaders and who are priests should set the pace and let the children and the community know.”

“When we came we did not [shake hands], we waved. We did so because, I’m trying wherever I go to let people know that the time for shaking hands is past. With cholera, with Ebola, with all these diseases we have to change the way we do things.”

Over 100 people have died from cholera across the country, while nearly 5000 people have died since the start of the year from Ebola in West Africa.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised people to avoid handshakes and wash their hands regularly in order to protect themselves from contracting the Ebola virus.

 

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