HELEH Africa Foundation launches campaign against COVID-19 stigma

The Health Evolution and Lifestyle Empowerment Hub (HELEH) Africa Foundation, the health arm of B-HeCK Non-Governmental Organisation alliance  has launched a campaign to help fight against stigmatisation and discrimination against COVID-19 survivors.

The organisation has also set up a comprehensive mechanism aimed at fishing and managing COVID-19 survivors so as to avert any long term complications related to the disease.

The project, dubbed: "SCED CHALLENGE" also seeks to celebrate COVID-19 survivors as well as to empower frontline workers.

The SCED challenge

The campaign was launched in Accra last Thursday under the theme: "Uniting the world to fight a common enemy".

Dr Benedicta Ohene-Manu, Global President of HELEH Africa Foundation

The Global President of HELEH Africa Foundation, Dr Benedicta Ohene-Manu, said the campaign aims at complementing government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19 through an all-inclusive approach mainly via social media.

She explained that SCED is an acronym that stands for "Say no to stigmatisation and discrimination against COVID-19 survivors.”

"The SCED challenge is a humanitarian campaign activity comprising a 1-2 minute video recording of yourself propagating “say no to stigmatization and discrimination” against COVID-19 survivors, celebrating them as heroes amidst empowering our gallant frontline workers for their efforts in protecting us from COVID-19 whilst demonstration your knowledge on the COVID-19 preventative protocols and then contribute your quota as a patriotic citizen, by way  of donating to support the deprived and the needy and those who have economically been affected by the COVID-19 atmosphere," Dr Ohene-Manu explained.

"The video is concluded by endorsing the challenge with a statement I stand for the SCED challenge and then throw the challenge to five more colleagues to do same," she noted.

Dr Ohene-Manu said the initiative will be rolled out in four main phases for a period of over 18 weeks.

“In the first phase, a number of SCED challenge videos featuring some renowned persons shall be showcased on the various designated media spaces to kick start the campaign. This phase would include, public sensitisation, education on preventive measures and the sharing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the hinterland," Dr Ohene-Manu said.

"This will be followed by an App that would be launched in the second phase to enable all partakers to record their challenge videos easier and smarter. The participant with the most unique and right demonstration of the preventative protocols, thus proper manner of washing hands, wearing of face marks and the "smartest local" way of measuring the social distancing space, shall be selected at random as the SCED challenge ambassador of the month amidst some gift vouchers to serve as side attraction," she said.

She further explained that the phase three involves a door-to-door sensitisation especially amongst the rural community, with phase four involving a special initiative to provide COVID-19 survivors healthcare support through dynamic monitoring and management mechanisms.

Sensitisation

Ms Linda Asantewaa Siaw, Country Director of HELEH Africa Foundation

For her part, the Country Director of HELEH Africa Foundation, Ms Linda Asantewaa Siaw, stressed on the need for door-to-door sensitisation in the hinterlands to provide the rural folks with comprehensive knowledge on the preventative protocols, as well as a high-tech administrative system to provide a high level monitoring and management approach for the COVID-19 survivors across the country.

"So that if there should be any form of aftermath health complication on the patients, our monitoring team can detect early and manage it accordingly due to the novelty nature of the virus," she explained.

    Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, Deputy Information Minister endorsing the campign

Endorsing the campaign, the Deputy Information Minister, Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, said the government would continue to partner relevant organisations in the fight against COVID-19 in the country, as well as instituting measures to help deal with the virus.