Behavioural change needed to attain MDGs

The Communication Development Officer of the UNICEF in Accra, Mrs Charity Nikoi, has stated that behavioural change is crucial if the nation is to attain the various Millennium Development Goals.

She, therefore, called on all Ghanaians to let the change of attitude be a priority in their way of life to help improve upon the living standards in the country.

Mrs Nikoi said this when she spoke at a two-day trainers workshop organised by the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for some of its members.

The 42 participants were made up of regional managers of GRCS, district organisers and mothers club facilitators from the Central, Eastern and the Upper East regions respectively. After the training, they would also train 450 other volunteers in their various regions.

The participants were trained on effective ways of communicating to people in the various communities on health related issues.

They would be training others in their various districts on the effective ways of communicating to the general public.   

Aims of  collaboration

The programme, which has as its theme: “Communication for Development (C4D),” involves volunteers visiting households. They will focus on essential family practices that have the greatest impact on reducing under-five mortality and morbidity; best practices to address water, sanitation and hygiene problems; behavioural change at individual, household and community levels.

In achieving this, emphasis will be on the five key behaviours which include infant and young child feeding, hand washing with soap, malaria prevention, diarrhoea prevention and treatment as well as deliveries by skilled attendants.

Mrs Nikoi said the UNICEF was currently liaising with faith-based organisations and other non-governmental organisations like the GRCS to reach out to the masses through public education.

The Health Programme Coordinator of the GRCS, Mr Thomas Aapore, said the programme was being run in 257 districts in the country.

He said there were a little over 500 volunteers in all the 10 regions of the nation to help in public education in various households (in the coverage areas).

The Secretary General of the GRCS, Mr Kofi Addo, commended the UNICEF for its support in building the capacity of its volunteers to help improve upon quality healthcare delivery in the country.

He expressed the hope that the training would assist many more Ghanaians to improve upon their lives in the prevention of diseases.

The secretary general called on all stakeholders in the country to contribute their quota towards the development of the nation.