The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the UN Communications Group have provided awareness materials to the government of Ethiopia.
The essence of the provision, according to the bodies, was to ensure that ordinary citizens have access to timely and accurate information in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.
ECA noted that the material would supply information about effective emergency preparedness and response, the disease and its conditions, healthy living and safety, among others.
“We are honoured to partner with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the Ministry of Transport during this time of crisis,” said Ali Todaro, Chief of Conference Management Section at the ECA.
“The UN is working around the world to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak. We recognize that a positive outcome is only possible if the ordinary person is fully informed,” he added.
“Every time one places a call in Ethiopia, they get an educational message about coronavirus prevention. But we all know that is not enough because not everyone has a cell phone. The ECA is happy to be playing its small part in this massive fight against the deadly virus that is set change our world as we know it, if we do not act fast,” Charles Ndungu, Chief of ECA’s Printing and Publishing Unit, noted.
“I am grateful to all the staff who have been putting in extra hours to make this possible,” he added.
“We all know that knowledge changes attitudes. What we have been seeing around the continent was an inauspicious attitude toward the coronavirus from our people. Our hope is that these flyers and pamphlets will go a long way in ensuring people take this pandemic seriously to protect themselves, their families and colleagues,” said Teshome Kifle, from the Printing and Publishing Unit.
Ethiopia’s Transport Minister, Dagmawit Moges, thanked ECA’s Executive Secretary Vera Songwe and her team for providing the government with the informative brochures about COVID-19.
“I look forward to joining forces to utilize our collective capacity towards combating this pandemic,” she said.
