Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, has stated that the launching of the ActionAid Ghana COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Project is a demonstration of the All-Ghanaian spirit the President espoused in his last address to the nation.

The Minister noted that the President in his last address, admonished Ghanaians to see the COVID-19 pandemic as an All-Ghanaian matter and endeavour to contribute in whatever way they could to support government's effort at containing the spread of the pandemic in the country.

Dr Bin Salih said this during the launch of the project in Wa targeted at ensuring that the hardship inflicted upon families by the coronavirus pandemic was reduced.

"Even as we implement the humanitarian project to support families to overcome their difficulties, I also want to appeal to the public to ensure that all the recommended safety protocols and guiding principles of COVID-19 are observed to the latter", he said.

The Regional Minister noted that with the easing of restrictions, there was the need for continued education and sensitization to ensure public compliance to the protocols to curb the spread of the virus.

Giving an update of the COVID-19 situation in the region, Dr Bin Salih said the region recorded a total of 22 cases out of which 21 were identified through enhanced contact tracing and the remaining one through routine surveillance.

He said of the cases, the Wa Municipality recorded 12, Sissala East Municipality, seven and one each for Nandom and Lawra Municipalities as well as Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District.

Mr George Dery, the Upper West Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana said they had enjoyed fruitful work relations with the Municipal and District Assemblies since 1999 and expressed hope that the same would be extended to the new COVID-19 Humanitarian Response project to ensure its success.

He noted that with greater level of collaboration, the region was able to bring under control the meningitis epidemic, adding that with the same level of cooperation, they would soon contain the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic too.

The ActionAid Ghana COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Project will be distributing both food and non-food relief items worth GHC2, 190,000.00 to more than 15,000 households and 15 rural government hospitals across 31 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.
Food items to be distributed under the project include; 3,117 sacks of rice; 1,314 boxes of oil; and 330 packs of cocoa powder.

For non-food items, a total of 15,000 reusable nose masks, 45 cartons of hand gloves, 45 cartons of disinfectants, 75 gallons of liquid soap, 934 boxes of soap, over 600 boxes of hand sanitizers, 500 veronica buckets, and 290 boxes of sanitary pads will be distributed.

The project is being funded by the European Union (EU) under the Northern Ghana Integrated Project and the Players of The People's Postcode Lottery in the United Kingdom (UK) under the Building the Agency of Adolescent Young Girl's for Inclusive Leadership Project among other donors.