Kwara Ministries Strengthen Ebola Prevention Awareness Campaign

The Ministries of Communications and Health plan to use jingles, flyers and roadshows to educate residents on Ebola prevention and other public health concerns

The Kwara State Ministries of Communications and Health have agreed to strengthen public sensitisation campaigns on Ebola Virus Disease prevention and other public health concerns across the state.

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The agreement followed a courtesy visit by officials of the Ministry of Communications to the Ministry of Health, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Communications Ministry’s Information Officer, Ishaq Joke.

During the visit, the Director of Public Orientation, Issa Muhammed, called for closer collaboration between the two ministries to educate residents on Ebola transmission, prevention and other health-related issues.

Muhammed said public enlightenment on government policies, programmes and activities remained one of the core responsibilities of his department.

He explained that the department could support the Health Ministry through the production of jingles, flyers, roadshows and other public awareness initiatives.

As an example, he cited a recent jingle produced by the department through the Head of Service, urging civil servants to avoid the wastage of government resources.

The Chief Information Officer, Abdulrazaq Yusuf, also expressed the department’s readiness to work with the Health Ministry on publicity materials for the proposed sensitisation campaign.

Responding, the Commissioner for Health, Amina Ahmed El-Imam, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Taoheed Abdullahi, commended the delegation for initiating the partnership.

She noted that most of the ministry’s activities centred on disease prevention, control and treatment, adding that cooperation with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies was essential to improving public health outcomes.

El-Imam stressed that public awareness should be sustained rather than restricted to periods of disease outbreaks.

“Public awareness should not be limited to periods of disease outbreaks but should be sustained as a continuous exercise,” she said.

The commissioner also called for the partnership to extend to other directorates within the Ministry of Health to broaden its impact.

Similarly, the Director of Medical Services and Training, Musilihu Odunaiya, said public sensitisation was important in encouraging behavioural change and supporting sustainable development goals.

He noted that the Ministry of Health implemented several programmes across Kwara’s 16 local government areas, adding that the involvement of the Communications Ministry would improve public participation and awareness.

Odunaiya expressed optimism that the partnership would benefit both ministries and strengthen health education across the state.

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The meeting ended with a commitment by both ministries to deepen their cooperation on public enlightenment, disease prevention and control, and the dissemination of relevant health information to residents.