MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, says Risk Communications and Community Engagement are key in the mitigation of disease outbreaks.

Minister Jallah said: “Breaking the transmission of any disease will be difficult if the proper messages are not developed and communicated to the public.”

She added that the development of a database of gender-sensitive messages and communication tools, based on the one health approach, cannot be overemphasized.

Dr. Jallah made the statement on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in Congo Town, at the opening of a regional workshop organized by the West African Health Organization (WAHO).

Dr.Wilhelmina Jallah urged participants from the fifteen ECOWAS countries to develop key gender-sensitive messages to mitigate any disease outbreak.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the WAHO Risk Communication and Community Engagement Team, Dr. Da-Costa Agoagye, has underscored the need to strengthen risk communications within the ECOWAS region.

Dr. Agboagye said: “The move will build awareness in the public and enable the region to adequately and effectively respond to any disease outbreak.”

He maintained that the ongoing regional workshop will see the development of key gender-sensitive messages to mitigate health challenges.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of Africa CDC, Modou Njai, described the regional workshop as timely and significant in building community resilience against outbreaks.

They made the statement at the ongoing four-day ECOWAS-WAHO regional workshop aimed at developing a database of gender-sensitive messages and communication tools based on the one health approach.

By: Sampson David