Accra, Ghana – June 24, 2020. Ecobank, in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), held a public forum yesterday to engage customers and the public on the effects of COVID-19 on health in Africa as well as on individuals and businesses. Held virtually via Facebook Live and YouTube, the forum attracted hundreds of participants, in real time, with many shares and downloads of the event.
Ahead of the forum, Ecobank had actively advertised the programme on social media and solicited questions from people around the globe, particularly within the African continent. The Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana and Regional Executive for the Anglophone West Africa Region, Mr Dan Sackey, responded to questions relating to banking, economies and finance, while Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC, answered questions on COVID-19 and public health.
The public and Ecobank customers were mostly interested in how to cope with the current situation and how to continue with banking transactions and engage the bank during the pandemic. They also enquired about precautionary measures that the bank had put in place to ensure customer safety and what the future or a post-COVID-19 era would look like.
Mr Sackey outlined some of the measures that Ecobank had put in place, as advised by recognised health agencies, to ensure the safety of staff, customers and stakeholders. He advised participants to use the electronic channels for payments, funds transfer and other routine banking transactions. He emphasised that digital and electronic banking hold the key to the future of banking globally, as they are fast, secure and provide great convenience for patrons, while minimising the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Mr Sackey informed customers about Ecobank’s digital channels, including the mobile and various online banking services. He described how the Ecobank intelligent automatic teller machines (ATMs) can facilitate cash withdrawal and deposit and the Ecobank Xpress Points, which provide basic banking needs and are available in over 1,500 community-based shops in Ghana.
Joining the forum from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr Nkengasong cautioned participants to refrain from self-medication, as this could worsen their health conditions, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. He warned participants not to take chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 without their doctor’s prescription because of the severe consequences, including deaths, that have been reported as a result of self-medication with these drugs.
Dr Nkengasong advised that as much as possible people should stay home, exercise regularly, eat well, drink lots of fluids, and take adequate amounts of relevant vitamins. He said these would boost the immune system and prepare the body to fight diseases. He advised anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 to comply with the advice given by their healthcare providers.
Dr Nkengasong traced the history of pandemics, indicating that over the years, the world has witnessed one major pandemic every century, citing the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720, the Asian cholera outbreak in 1820, the Spanish flu in 1920 and now the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He assured participants that scientists would certainly find antidotes for COVID-19.
Mrs Rita Tsegah, Regional Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Ecobank said; “The aim of today’s virtual forum is to keep our customers and the public informed about the fight against COVID-19 while engaging them on the need to adapt to the changing times. We will continue to hold such fora as part of our corporate social responsibility during this COVID-19 pandemic”. She said Ecobank remains resolute to discharging this obligation by collaborating with partners that are committed to mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and to supporting the Ecobank agenda.
Details of the forum discussions can be found at
Youtube
Media Contacts
Ecobank
Rita Aba Tsegah (Mrs)
Regional Head, Corporate Communications & Marketing
Anglophone West Africa (AWA) Cluster
Email: rtsegah@ecobank.com
Tel: +233 (0) 302 610 400
Mobile: +233 244 322 672
Africa CDC
James Ayodele
Principal Communication Officer
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Email: ayodelej@africa-union.org
Tel: +251 11 551 7700
M: +251 953912454
About Ecobank Ghana
Ecobank Ghana is a subsidiary of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 15,000 people and serves about 20 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking licence in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan.
For further information, kindly visit www.ecobank.com
About Africa CDC
Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa’s public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programmes.
