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The Northern Development Forum (NDF) has appealed to the government to increase border vigilance in all the five regions in Northern Ghana to augment the efforts of the Immigration officials to fight the spread of COVID-19.

The Forum expressed concern that there was no single approved centre for COVID-19 testing in the whole of Northern Ghana, stressing that the two Research Centers in Navrongo and Kintampo and other Regional hospitals should be upgraded to undertake testing for COVID-19.

The Forum believed that, this would ease the national burden currently centered in Accra and Kumasi research centers and as well enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in the national fight against the pandemic.

A statement signed by Major Albert Don Chebe (Rtd), Chairman, NDF and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said.
The statement called for fair and equitable distribution of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Northern Ghana and other deprived regions.

“We call for a targeted support mechanism for Religious and Traditional Leaders in Northern Ghana to engage in systematic efforts at Social Behaviour Change Communication on COVID-19 and public health in general to stem the devastating impact of the pandemic”, it said.

The Forum observed that socio-cultural practices and behaviours had a great potential to nullify the national effort at fighting the COVID-19.

It called for a comprehensive testing of targeted communities in Tolon, Savelugu, Nasia, Wale Wale and Nyankpala, that have received a mass influx of head porters because of the lockdown of Accra and Kumasi to improve the Government’s surveillance tracking for cases.

“We cannot talk about vulnerabilities without remembering some of the communities in Northern Ghana that were devastated by rainstorms, recently. We commiserate with the victims for the losses and harm that they have experienced”.

The statement assured the President of NDF fullest cooperation and support in the common battle to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement commended government for the instituting precautionary measures to safeguard citizens from the deadly attack.