The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) in collaboration with the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) will deploy 6,000 active data collectors beginning Wednesday, 8 April as part of health authorities’ measures to prevent the spread of the disease which has affected Liberia and other countries.
NPIHL and MCC disclosed Tuesday, 7 April that the data collectors were trained by NPHIL and other health authorities specifically to help collect data of persons suspected of having the virus.They will conduct adequate contact tracing of people who might have come in contact with affected people across the 17 districts of Montserrado.
Giving the over view of the project in a joint press conference at the Monrovia City Hall in Sinkor, NPHIL Acting Director General Dr. MosokaFallah says the project started six years ago when Liberia became hotspot of Ebola.According to him, door – to – door data collection and awareness campaign were instituted during the Ebola crisis here.
“We thought we can conduct that same module to move from house to house across the 17 electoral districts to search for the sick find them and report them to heath authorities, where they can be isolated to avoid coming in contact with other people,” he explains.
Dr. Fallah further warns that the more affected people stay home the more they spread the virus to others, saying the young people have been trained to help trace COVID – 19 victims or suspects.
“We look forward to our data collectors to provide us with more information on people from various districts so as to help us,” he notes.
For his part, Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee says the training of the 6,000 young people was aimed at complementing government’s efforts to prevent the wide spread of the coronavirus disease and to provide safety for the citizens.
“Today we are deploying 6,000 young persons and the honor is upon you as young people to take ownership. And if you do that, we all will succeed in this fight. To citizens including market people, we understand these are difficult times, but it’s the time to listen and follow every measures,” Koijee says.
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According to Koijee, government is under obligation to make sure that the safety and health of every citizen are intact.He adds that beginning Wednesday, active data collectors will be seen at people’s door steps, pleading with citizens for their cooperation.
Meanwhile, the head of the Data Collection Mohammed Sy expresses delight with MCC, NPHIL and other health authorities for the training given the young people.
He says they have been trained using four years’ experience, noting that they have set up a database where every information gathered from agents in various districts will be sent for onward submission to NPHIL.By Lewis S. Teh—Edited by Winston W. Parley
