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Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Aboagye Da-Costa has made a passionate appeal to all the political parties, Chiefs, MMDCEs, assembly men and celebrities to join hands in the fight against stigmatization as it has become another challenge in the midst of the COVID-19.

According to him, in spite of the effort of the frontline health workers in the fight against the novel coronavirus in the country, it has become a serious challenge for the team to handle the stigmatization as family members have began rejecting those who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Dr. Aboagye Da-Costa insisted that those who have recovered from the disease are being ex-communicated in their homes and in the communities as the family members and people in the communities do not want have anything to do them.

“I think that since we started fighting the COVID-19, stigmatization has become another challenge where those who have recovered are being ex-communicated in their homes as family members do not want to have anything to do with them,” Dr Da-Costa indicated.

In addressing the challenge, the Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service said his unit together with the Ministry of Information, NCCE and other non-governmental organizations have started serious education on stigmatization.

He added that they have put measures in place to educate the public on stigmatization against those who have recovered from the COVID-19; thus, his team upon visit to the Pentecost Isolation Centre to interact with the COVID-19 patients realised that the stigma is a major problem in Ghana.

What we decided is that education on stigma will be stepped out across the country and the fact of the matter is that we have started already as the Ministry of Information in every press conference use the podium to educate the public on stigmatization.

“In fact, we showed some of the people who had the COVID-19 during the press conference to advise Ghanaians. Again, in every speech of the President on COVID-19, he speaks about stigmatization,” he stressed.

He however reminded Ghanaians to desist from stigmatization as everyone is at risk of getting the disease; adding that the unfortunate ones cannot be faulted for getting the disease. He stressed that the disease is not a death sentence and the infected persons are not outcast in the society.

“What we all must realise is that, we are at risk of getting the disease and it is nobody’s fault of getting the disease and it is not a death sentence and neither is it the infected person an outcast in the society. The COVID-19 is just like any other viral diseases and I am sure the misconception about the covid-19 is due to the fact that it has affected the whole world.

“Our chiefs, celebrities, assembly men, local authorities, MMDAs and all the political parties must join in the stigma fight and I am sure that collectively, we will be able to stop the stigma in the country,” he pleaded.