Conduct Consultation Workshop on COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Opinion towards COVID-19 Vaccine

A consultation meeting on COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement and opinions of participants towards COVID-19 vaccine in Hawassa was held at Rori Hotel. There were thirty two participants, drawn from Regional and District Finance, Health, Women and Children affairs bureaus/offices, public health institutions and women focused CSO’s.

The consultation workshop has been organized by DFT in collaboration with partner organization to gather information on opinions and perceptions of participants about COVID-19 vaccination and preventions mechanisms in the context of Sidama Region in the case of Women and Girls. The main objective of the meeting was to assessing the implications and negative attitudes of women and girls on COVID-19 vaccination and preventions.

The meeting was started by welcoming remark by Ato Yohannes Girma, Executive Director of the organization. He welcomed the workshop attendees and gave brief introductory remark about the organization (DFT) and the project objective and expected results.  He mentioned the longstanding relationship of DFT and government stakeholders in different programs in the region. He emphasized the need of urgent action to end the spread of COVID-19 to prevent Women and girls from social, economic and political crises. He stated the key role of women in the development process of the country. Finally, he further stated that currently the population is real having lack of awareness of the socio-economic and health consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on Women and Girls and even do not have adequate resources to control and prevent this infectious disease in the region.