Graphic, ISD step up COVIC -19 education campaign
The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in collaboration with the Information Services Department (ISD) has embarked on a sensitisation programme to educate communities in Accra on the preventive and safety measures of COVID-19.
The GCGL used its brands to widely circulate the messages crafted by the ISD.
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Exercise
The exercise, which began last Saturday, saw a team made up of members of staff of the two organisations go round some communities including Dome, Taifa Burkina, Kwabenya, Achimota and Christian Village to engage several individuals, particularly in the market centres.
Messages on what COVID-19 is, the major symptoms, preventive measures and the President’s directive on social distancing and the other interventions introduced to help stop the spread of the virus were re-enforced.
Additionally, the team gave out fliers with all the information needed to ensure protection against spread of the virus.
Intensifying campaign
The acting Director of the ISD, Mr Charles Wereko, said the exercise had become necessary due to the increasing spread.
He observed that although there had been massive education on the pandemic, people were still skeptical and, therefore, were being complacent.
As a result, the ISD has intensified public education, focusing on face-to-face engagement with people and also supplying them with educational materials to guide them.
Mr Wereko said the department was also collaborating with all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to replicate this campaign strategy in all the 216 districts across the country.
“Our target for all our district information officers is to cover 20 communities every single day and to make 60 announcements every single day,” he said.
He added that although the department was making great strides with such initiatives, it lacked some basic logistics such as vehicles, fuel and incentives to staff.
Mr Wereko commended GCGL for providing the ISD with some of the required logistics to enable the department to carry on with the campaign.
“GCGL has provided us with the support we needed most and this is what we are expecting from every corporate organisation.
The company has given us fuel and some incentives for our staff and this will ensure a fruitful exercise,” Mr Wereko said.
“This pandemic has affected every aspect of life and that is the more reason we need everyone to come on board to support us in this fight and ensure the fight is won,” he added.
Graphic’s role
The Assistant Sales and Circulation Manager of GCGL, Mr Martin Omar Sarfo, said as the leading national newspaper, the exercise was another opportunity to play its role in informing and educating people about critical issues.
He said since the outbreak of the pandemic, the GCGL, through its brands, had provided accurate information as part of efforts to create awareness of the situation.
“We have been at the forefront bringing all the relevant and necessary information so everyone will be informed and educated on the issue.
“The collaboration with ISD is to further enhance the role we are playing because Graphic is everywhere and it is the reference point for the community media, particularly, the FM radio stations. Once something is published in any of the Graphic brands, they pick it up and use for their various programmes because they know it is accurate information,” Mr Sarfo said.
Mr Sarfo said the exercise also provided the opportunity to inform people that the weekend family paper, The Mirror, was back on the news-stands.
“During the three weeks of the partial lockdown, The Mirror was published on the company’s digital platform, but it is back on the news-stands and this exercise has helped us to get that message across,” he explained.