Media General, Vodafone host forum on Coronavirus 

The emergence of infectious diseases that pose threat to global health security and more recently Coronavirus has prompted media conglomerate Media General and communication giants Vodafone Ghana to assemble experts and key stakeholders in the health sector to have a discussion on the global scourge of the infectious disease.

The event,  which is on the theme, ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) and their Effects on Public Health Management in Ghana’, will come off Tuesday, February 18, at the TV3’s Executive Theatre at 3:00pm.

Experts at the forum will give a professional perspective of the nature of the disease, the risks it poses to the country and how to contain it. 

The speakers will include:

• Prof. William Kwabena Ampofo (Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Virology Department at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in the University of Ghana, Legon
• Dr. Yakubu Akparibo (Aviation Medicine Specialist and Medical Director of Careflight Ghana
• Dr. Ishmael Nelson (President, Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies)

There will also be presentations by representatives of the Ghana Health Services, Ministry of Health and the Ghana Immigration Service.

Background

Past experiences show that outbreak of these diseases could not only potentially cause large numbers of human deaths as they spread, but also have huge social and economic impact in today’s interconnected world. Unfortunately, many of these diseases do not yet have any cure, and healthcare providers are also often victim of such diseases.

Ghana is currently on full alert in fear of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) getting into the country.

There have been instances of suspected cases which have turned out negative after the patients were tested, but gleaning from the poor handling of the H1N1 – Type A outbreak in Kumasi Academy Senior High School in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of Ashanti Region, there is concern among the public about Ghana’s readiness to properly manage an outbreak.

There are also some infectious diseases that have occurred in other parts of the world but have appeared in the Africa region, and could pose an acute health risk to Ghana; for example, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, coronavirus, and Ebola virus disease.

In the light of the above, the Media General Group in collaboration with Vodafone Healthline will host experts and stakeholders to shed more light on the risks, challenges and the way forward.

The event will be broadcast live across Media General news platforms: TV3, ONUA TV, 3FM (92.7), ONUA FM (95.1), AKOMA FM (87.9) in Kumasi, CONNECT FM 97.1 in Takoradi, and 3NEWS.COM.

ABOUT THE MG THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SERIES

The MG Thought Leadership series is a flagship dialogue platform whose object is to interrogate and harness the thoughts of leading thinkers on various thematic, topical or pressing issues of national concern to help improve policy-making processes by creating a free and healthy market of ideas for the development of society.

The platform also aims at influencing government decisions and actions in respect of the options and ideas generated. The series has since its inception in 2016, hosted the following eminent persons as speakers:

• Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (KPMG Professor of Accounting, Legal Expert)
• Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan (former Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana)
• Prof. Professor Jophus Anamoah-Mensah (Chaired the 2002 Presidential Committee on Educational Reform/ Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba) 
• Professor Kwamena Ahwoi (Legal and Local Government Expert),
• Kojo Mpiani (Former Chief of Staff under John Agyekum Kuffour),
• Prosper Douglas Bani (Former Chief of Staff under John Dramani Mahama)
• Professor Stephen Adei (a Former Rector of GIMPA and Governance Expert).
• Dr. Kofi Mbiah  (Former  Chairman  of  the  International  Maritime  Organization’s  Legal Committee). 
• Francis Kwame Emile Short (a Former Judge on the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, 1st Commissioner of CHRAJ, Ghana) 
• Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah (Former Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency and Former Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party) 
• Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo (Director of Elections of the National Democratic Congress Party).
• Peter Mac Manu (Former National Chairman of NPP, International Election Observer with the Democratic Union of Africa (DUA) 
• Affail Monney (President of Ghana Journalists Association) [Chairman]
• Elizabeth Akua Ohene (Former Editor of Daily Graphic & Mirror, Former Editor at the BBC, Ghanaian Politician). She is famous for her bold critic of the summary execution of Military Generals 
• Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh (Chairman, National Media Commission – NMC)
• Andrew Danso-Aninkora (President of Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association)
• ACP David Senanu Eklu (Director-General, Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service)

In April 2018, the platform organized an international dialogue on Fake News, as part of events to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day which was hosted by Ghana.  

The forum featured renowned international journalists from across the globe to discuss the growing phenomena of Fake News and how it hinders efforts at upholding Press Freedom, Rule of Law, and Ethical Journalism.

Among the journalists who spoke at the event were Liesbeth Tjonameeuw (Radio Netherlands Worldwide), Khuloud Hadaq (Syrian journalist with Aljazeera), Francis Sowa (Senegal, Journalism Lecturer and member of the Senegal Media regulatory body), Samuel Darko (BBC, Lawyer and Lecturer), Dr. Alhaji Sidick Abubabkar (Senior Journalist and Media Manager), Combetey Combey Djidjole (Radio France International, Togo), Albertine Dotse (African Rendezvous’, Bamako, Mali). Representatives of Media Research Institutions such as the CEO of Penplus Byte attended and shared interesting research findings on fake news with participants at the forum.

Source: 3news.com|Ghana