Communities as well as religious leaders have been urged to lend their support to the ongoing outdoor free testing campaign in the fight against the COVID-19.

Last week, the Ministry of Public Health launched the nationwide campaign at the Mokolo market and is expected to last for month.

The intention of the campaign is flatten the curve of the pandemic by taking the testing and sensitization exercise to crowded areas like markets, junctions, motor parks as well as campuses.

However, for this campaign to attain its objectives, several stakeholders must join forces with the Ministry of Public Health.

“Each community leader (traditional, religious or heads of associations) must help in facilitating this campaign by encouraging members of their communities to massively take part in the various activities undertaken by our teams on the field,” Dr Fanne Mahamat, Director of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Public Health Said during the daily press briefing on the epidemiological situation of the pandemic.

In addition to going for the tests, community leaders were urged to give the necessary put to the mobile teams in terms of sensitization. She also stressed on the important role religious leaders have in sensitizing their followers.

“We are convinced that the commitment of our religious communities in the fight against the novel Coronavirus is of considerable help in stopping the active spread of the virus in our country,” she said.