AFRICA/NIGERIA - Catholic women mobilized to contain the third wave of Covid-19 and to promote vaccination

Monday, 2 August 2021 coronavirus   women   local churches  

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - “The fear of the third wave of COVID-19 is the beginning of wisdom, the infection rate is rising again. We must do whatever is necessary to avoid getting infected. We must be in constant contact with our leaders at the diocesan, deanery and parish level to make sure they are educating their members about the third wave of the virus and the need to stay safe”, said Mary Ashibi Gonsum, President of the Catholic Women Organization Nigeria (CWON), who decided to mobilize the leaders of her organization to help the authorities contain the third wave of Covid-19 in the country.
This is an important help because CWON is present in nine provinces and fifty-five dioceses in Nigeria.
“The guidelines are simple, we expect our members to continue to wear face masks, wash their hands, use disinfectants, keep social distance, not just during meetings, but wherever they are at all times. They must ensure that their families do the same”, Ms. Gonsum said.
"National, provincial and diocesan presidents should therefore mobilize, to raise awareness and convince people, especially in parishes, to maintain Covid-19 protocols and other public health interventions such as as education on the risk of infection, presentation for testing if necessary and acceptance of vaccination”, she added.
Referring to the fears of those who do not want to get vaccinated and the legitimate questions about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, the CWON president advised women to beware of misinformation by seeking objective information instead and to seek advice and to rush to receive the vaccine.
Finally, she prayed for the recovery of those affected by the virus, as well as for health workers and other professionals at the forefront in the fight against the virus. Reminding women that God does not abandon his children, Gonsum said: “We believe that God is our Savior and that He never fails. I am confident that we will live and see the goodness of the Lord at the end of this pandemic".
To date, Nigeria has registered 174,315 cases of COVID-19, according to official statistics; 165,005 were discharged, with 2,149 deaths. According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), as many as 407 cases were registered on Sunday August 1, as doctors resumed the national strike indefinitely. Meanwhile, 4.8 million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the US government are on their way to the country. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 2/8/2021)


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