PHOTO: VP Jewel Howard Taylor
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Liberia’s vice president, Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor has called on Liberians in and out of the country to join hands together in battling COVID-19 in this West African county.
In order to defeat the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic as a county, Madam Taylor stated that there is a serious need that citizens put aside their political differences and work together for the common good of the Liberian people.
“If we must succeed in fighting COVID -19, we must work together as partners and citizens of Liberia. We must collaborate, coordinate and provide timely and affordable communication to fight COVID-19 in Liberia,” the Vice President emphasized.
According to her, no one entity can do it alone, citing that collectively, Liberians can fight COVID-19 at the various communities, churches, mosques, job places among others.
VP Taylor made the call in the central city of Gbarnga over the weekend to cross-section of citizens from Bong County.
“We are encouraging all Liberians as partners to make use of the J&J vaccine, if you have not taken your vaccine please do so for the safety of you, your family and the community,” Liberia’s first female Vice President added.
In another development, Bong County health Team in collaboration with Breakthrough Action Liberia is currently conducting a three-day behaviorial change workshop with several health workers, traditional leaders and some media personnel in Gbarnga.
Giving the overview of the training its community engagement teams lead Veoa D. Weah the Break through action project is meant to strengthen health system.
She recounted that the three days activities will also focus on designing work plain for various community health action group (CHAV) in working with their district’s local authorities to see good health practices at the community level.
The Breakthrough action community engagement team lead said break through action is only operating in twelve of Liberia’s fifteen counties.
She told the gathering that proper health engagement will be done by community health action groups in collaboration with community members based on insight gathered from those various communities that are of the project focused areas.
The project also focus on promoting family planning among young people to reduce the high level of birth rate that is causing more girls to drop from school.
For their part, the participants thanked Breakthrough Action for the three days exercise and promised to apply the knowledge acquired.