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The Leader of Risk Communication for National COVID-19 Response Team, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye has bemoaned the persistent agenda of some people to misinformed the general public about the treatment of the novel coronavirus.

According to the Director of Health Promotion at the Ghana Health Service, the government efforts in the fight against the deadly virus has become a major challenge by the continuous spread of misinformation and fake news to deceive unsuspecting Ghanaians.

Speaking in an interview with an Accra-based Kingdom FM News, Dr. Da Costa indicated that the issue of fake news and misinformation is a worldwide challenge that hinders the efforts of governments in the fight against the COVID-19.

“…the issue about fake news and misinformation has been a worldwide challenge that countries continue to fight against due to the negative impact they both have on the coronavirus fight”, he bemoaned.

He, therefore, beckoned on the media to join forces with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to inform and remind the public about the existence of the coronavirus irrespective of the deliberate misinformation and the fake news about the pandemic.

He, however, believed that an alliance with the media to constantly educate the public about the existence of the new coronavirus will help the masses to understand and appreciate the need to protect themselves and also adhere to the safety protocols.

“It is about time the media joined forces with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to inform the public about the continuous existence of the virus to enable people to understand the need to protect themselves and observe the safety protocols”, he suggested.

Dr. Da Costa Aboagye’s concern is borne out of the recent issue of a Nigerian Doctor based in the United States of America (USA) insisting that the use of Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and Azithromycin are the cure for the novel coronavirus which has claimed millions of lives in the world.

Doctor Stella Immanuel appeared in a viral video alongside some doctors in which she claimed to have cured over 350 coronavirus patients with hydroxychloroquine without losing any to death but the video was immediately pulled down from almost every social media platform and labeled as misinformation.

It is due to such misinformation by Dr. Stella Immanuel which went viral on social media and carried out by the mainstream media that the Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service is urging the media to always rely on information from the appropriate quarters.