Getting calls on how do I volunteer. Starting point maybe contact organisations in health sector eg @NCDCgov @AfricaCDC via website, twitter or Facebook pages. Usually respond promptly. Make it easy in busy time. Be clear & real on skills, where you are, what you can offer...
But there’s a lot you can do on your own without recourse to anyone. There are masses of resources & guidelines on @NCDCgov website. You could commit to sending those to 100,200, 300 people. You could commit to ringing people & talking them through the guidance...
You could translate some of the guidance into your local dialect or language and share. You can share the @NCDCgov guidance on managing COVID patients & infection control with every health worker in Nigeria that you know covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/guidline.html
If you are a clinician-doctor, nurse, etc, think what you would need in terms of guidance & advice. Is it on the @NCDCgov website? If not, is it on other international websites like @NHSuk or @CDCgov or @AfricaCDC or @WHO website? Could you adapt what’s there to Nigeria?
If you’re an engineer or tech developer or scientist, are there ways you can produce, adapt or manufacture rapidly solutions to some of the medical equipment that will be needed? Can you set up a helpline for your local area for social welfare needs?
Are there other innovations you can come up with? Lots of valid criticism about challenge of social distancing in crowded environments, where are the alternative solutions and suggestions?
Could you pull together material for army of WhatsApp & social media users to fight misinformation & fake news on social media? Recruit 100k people who commit to “Every time I am sent a “copied” or “forwarded as received” message, I will respond with one of these infographics”
So please, if you want to help in this COVID19 pandemic, try & do as I often say: start where you can, with what you can, in whichever way that you can. We face a tremendous challenge & we need everyone to join in. Join up with others, search the internet to see what’s going on
