WHO And UNICEF urge Ghana and other African countries to reopen schools
- WHO and UNICEF has called on African governments to promote the safe reopening of schools
- They said the prolonged closure of schools is harmful to students
- According to them, the extended stay at home has exposed the students to poor nutrition, teenage pregnancies and violence
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The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), have called on African governments to promote the safe reopening of schools during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to them, the prolonged closure of schools is harmful to students.
In a report filed by peacefmonline.com, they, however, expect the governments to invest in improving sanitation facilities in the schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in institutions.
Source: UGC
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The two organizations revealed that per their research, they found out that the extended stay at home has exposed the students to poor nutrition, teenage pregnancies as well as violence.
The WHO Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti, said schools in Africa are a "safe haven" for children.
" Just as countries are opening businesses safely, we can reopen schools," she said during a virtual press briefing on Thursday, August 20, 2020.
A recent survey of 39 countries conducted by WHO and UNICEF revealed that only six African countries have fully opened schools
Countries like Ghana reopened for final year students to sit for crucial examinations as well as other institutions for students to complete the academic year.
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Meanwhile, in Ghana, the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has said the reopening of schools in Ghana will be dependent largely on how the rate of COVID-19 in Ghana changes.
According to him, the decision would be based on science and data available on the COVID-19 situation in Ghana.
He made this known while speaking in an interview on TV3 on Thursday, August 13, 2020.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
