The Wassa East District has trained 50 peer educators in COVID-19 prevention measures as part of efforts to step up awareness and reduce the spread of the disease.

The volunteers drawn from 25 communities would complement the work of the Ministry of Health, Information Services Department (ISD) and the National Commission for Civic Education.

The training programme was organized by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), an NGO and facilitated by the District Health Directorate, Information Services Department, Department of Social Welfare and the Community Development under the West African Governance and Economic Sustainability in Extractive Areas (WAGES) Project.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Field Coordinator of WAGES, Mr Rusmond Anyinah said, although WAGES' mandate was in mining and sustainable local economic development in Wassa East and Prestea Huni-Valley, they were compelled to assist government's efforts in achieving health for all by containing the spread of the virus.

According to him, one of the ways to achieve that was by educating the people about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The District Director of Health, Mr Emmanuel Affel Kum commended the volunteers for their dedication to take up the responsibility of educating people within their community on COVID-19.

He, however, advised the volunteers to conduct their activities based on the information given to them by the facilitators and get rid of opinionated information.

An Assistant Social Development Officer, Mr Jewel Archer took participants through topics such as, how COVID-19 can be prevented, symptoms, transmission, techniques for hand washing and stigmatization among others.

Mr Frank Kwabena Danso, Wassa East District Information Officer, underscored the need for the COVID-19 education to be done in the dialect or language of the people.

He expressed the hope that the education would yield the needed impact if the volunteers communicated in the language of the people.

According to him, the COVID-19 education should target each and every individual member of the community and advised the participants to use the Community Information Centres, Churches, Mosques, among others for their campaigns.

The volunteers were provided with educational materials such as posters and leaflets and received two branded shirts, two face masks and hand sanitizers each.