Casely Ato Coleman, an IMANI Fellow, says a decision to lockdown Ghana must be informed by data and not based on emotions.
According to Mr Coleman, though emotions are bound to play out due to fears and anxiety over the pandemic, it should not be government’s sole decision to declare a lockdown.
“We need a comprehensive data and not emotions to decide on a lockdown because it will affect food security and when hunger strikes, it will affect our immunity and may lead to death,” he cautioned.
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Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he explained the outbreak should be seen as an opportunity to improve inter-sectorial engagement at all levels of the country.
“In considering a lockdown, you will need key leaders who can ensure strict internal controls and the people can trust like the chiefs, Imams and other opinion leaders who can support the communication towards behaviour change,” he said.
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He stressed on the need to support the government as it provides leadership to reduce and stop further spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease, adding there are lessons that could be learnt from the Ebola Virus disease of 2014.
Meanwhile, there has been intense pressure on the government to declare a lockdown in Ghana as the country has now recorded 132 cases of COVID-19 with three deaths.