Hunger Project trains animators on Ebola, cholera
The Hunger Project-Ghana (THP-Ghana) has organised training workshops on Ebola and cholera diseases for its volunteer animators.
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The training workshops were organised at the Odumase-Wawase epicentre of THP-Ghana, near Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region.
They were attended by 100 community animators made up of 34 females and 66 males from the Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti and Eastern regions.
The training workshops formed part of THP-Ghana’s social responsibility towards ensuring the good health of rural dwellers to enable them to go about their normal economic and social activities and also contribute to the development of their communities.
Purpose
The purpose of the training workshops, according to the National Programme Officer of THP-Ghana, Mr John Sarpong Amoakohene, was to equip the participants with skills and knowledge about the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) and cholera.
He said they were also to prepare and enable the animators to educate their community members to protect themselves from the two diseases.
He made reference to the death toll from Ebola in the three most affected countries in West Africa – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
The resource persons were the Kwahu West District Director of Health, Madam Juliana Nimo and the Kwahu West District Disease Control Officer, Mr Kudjo Awuttey.
Ebola
They briefed the participants on the causes, mode of transmission and prevention of EVD and how to create awareness of the disease to prevent its possible outbreak.
According to the facilitators, Ebola is spread through human-to-human transmission, resulting from close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons.
They explained that the incubation period of EVD was between two and 21 days, adding that Ebola was more deadly than HIV and AIDS.
They urged the participants and the general public to report persons with unusual fever to nearby health facilities or Ebola control units.
They should report such cases, especially when the victims exhibited at least two of the following symptoms: bloody diarrhoea, blood in vomit, bleeding from gums, bleeding from nose, bleeding into skin (purpura), bleeding into eyes and blood in urine.
Prevention
The facilitators said Ebola could be prevented by reducing the risk of contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their meat.
They also advised that animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing, adding that animal products should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Health workers must also wear gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment when taking care of Ebola victims.
The facilitators urged the participants to be Ebola ambassadors and intensify education to prevent the outbreak and spread of the disease in the country.
Cholera
The resource persons said cholera was an acute illness with profuse watery diarrhoea caused by Vibro cholerae which was transmitted mainly through ingestion of food or water contaminated by the organism.
Some of the symptoms of cholera are rapid vomiting and diarrhoea, severe dehydration, low pulse, undetectable blood pressure, sunken eyes, wrinkled hands and feet, slow recovery of shape after depression of skin, and no urine output.
The facilitators said people who lived near lagoons, low lying areas with fresh or brackish water; people with unsafe water sources, poor faecal disposal practices, and people with poor personal hygiene were most at risk of cholera infection.
On preventive measures, they said all transmission routes should be blocked through disinfection of the source of water and water used in households.
They also stressed the need to promote hand washing practices and ensuring proper sanitation and good hygiene.