By: Problyn J. Alpha
Under the auspices of Community Development Initiative Sierra Leone (COMDI-SL), a local non-governmental and profit making Civil Society organization with the vision to improve the dignity of human life has officially launched the Covid-19 resilient mechanism in Kono District.
The Council Chairman, Solomon Sahr Gbondo officially launched the Covid-19 resilient mechanism at a ceremony held at the Kono Musu Training institute Conference Hall in Koidu City.
The Covid-19 Resilient (C-19RM) is an addendum to the new funding model III (NFM3) Project funded by Global Fund/ Catholic Relief Services (CRC-SL). The project seeks to enhance social mobilization to reduce the impacts of Covid-19 on HIV testing, TV Screening Malaria testing and treatments by scaling up the engagement of community opinion leaders including religious, traditional leaders, market women, Local authorities( Councilors) on Covid-19 prevention and control behavior change activities in all its operational communities without an overview objectives to regained people’s confidence in the health system whilst promoting Covid-19 Vaccination exercise.
At the ceremony, the Kono District Council Chairman foremost commended COMDI-SL for bringing development to the doorstep of the people of the Kono District. He said the coming of the organization to Kono District is very important as the objective of the organization is to improve the dignity of human life through health care information and therefore encouraged all and sundry to support the an initiative of COMDI-SL which is an indigenous organization.
“The good thing about COMDI-SL is that it goes to the doorstep of people in the fourteen Chiefdoms in Kono District with its health care information about the following sicknesses, HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Covid-19”, Gbondo maintained.
He pointed out that misinformation is responsible for the snail pace at which the Covid-19 vaccination is going on in the district and country as a whole, noting that with the official launch of the Covid-19 Resilient mechanism the said misinformation will be a thing of the past.
He concluded by thanking COMDI-SL for disclosing plans of working with the one hundred and seventy existing school and community health clubs in the district. On his part of the National Director Community Development Initiative Sierra Leone, Rev. Father Samuel Von Tucker thanked all participants for being part of the official launch of the Covid-19 Resilient mechanism and honoring their invitation.
”Although Covid-19 has badly hit the country it never destroyed the health facilities therefore people should have all the reasons to visit the health facilities when they are unwell”, Von Tucker said. He urged those present to serve as ambassadors of the program launched by reaching out to all.
The National Director COMDI-SL encouraged the Clergies to factor in their messages about health care information in their respective places of worship. He intimated all that the organization operates in Bo, Bonthe and Kono. He said the Catholic Relief Services and Global Fund are responsible for their operations in the fourteen (14) Chiefdoms in Kono District.
District Health Education Officer, Aiah Michael Yomba said the intervention of the DHMT in Kono is to explain the importance of Covid-19 Vaccination. Whilst dispelling the negative misconception about the Covid-19 Vaccination which he said is to fortify the human immune system. He added that the unvaccinated people are at potential risk of Covid-19 and its related sicknesses and therefore urged everyone to be vaccinated as the vaccines are now available at every health facility in the district.
He said scourge nine of the Covid-19 vaccination is on course in the district, and outlined the types of Covid- 19 vaccines so far available in the district and the country as a whole; AstraZeneca, Psynopharm, Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer.
