The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has stepped up its preparedness measures against a possible Ebola outbreak, conducting about three simulation exercises to assess the country’s capacity to respond to the disease. The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said the Service was closely monitoring developments in affected countries and working with relevant institutions to evaluate potential risks to Ghana.
He said surveillance and emergency preparedness efforts had been intensified following reports of Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as well as concerns over possible cross-border transmission. Dr Kaba Akoriyea explained that Ghana remained in the preparedness phase, with simulation exercises being used to test the effectiveness of its response systems.
He noted that the spread of the disease across several countries, coupled with frequent air travel and indirect flight connections, underscored the need for heightened vigilance. “Here you are, you have an outbreak in Congo, Uganda, and then you see it coming to Kenya, and we have airlines that come indirectly, day in, day out. Then from there, you see it get to Nigeria. And as I talk to you, I’m always in touch with my colleagues in those countries to know exactly what is happening,” he said.
According to him, the GHS is relying on its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at Pantang to monitor global health developments and coordinate preparedness activities. He said the centre operates 24 hours a day, enabling health officials to track emerging threats and assess developments that could pose risks to Ghana.
“We’ve put it out there all the time. Every second, microsecond of the day, we scan, and we know exactly what is happening in any part of the world. It’s there,” he said. “You can go and see. We don’t sleep, work 24 hours, and we see whatever is happening,” Dr Kaba Akoriyea added.
The Director-General stated that the Service has conducted approximately three simulation exercises since concerns about the disease arose in the region. He added that Ghana activated its preparedness system when the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was reported. “When it started in the DRC, we activated our system. In Congo and Kenya, we initiated simulation exercises,” he mentioned.
These exercises are designed to evaluate how institutions can coordinate their responses to a public health emergency, including the identification and management of suspected cases, inter-agency communication, and resource mobilization. Dr. Kaba Akoriyea noted that around 33 agencies have been involved in Ghana’s preparedness efforts, reflecting a collaborative approach that goes beyond just the health sector.
He has participated in meetings with representatives from various institutions responsible for education, security, social welfare, local governance, and emergency management. Among the agencies involved are the Food and Drugs Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the National Commission for Civic Education, the Ghana Education Service, the Veterinary Services Department, the National Peace Council, and the Ghana Armed Forces.
The involvement of the various agencies is aimed at improving coordination in emergency response, public communication, security, logistics and the management of individuals who may be affected by a potential outbreak.
Dr Kaba Akoriyea further disclosed that Ghana was strengthening cross-border collaboration with neighbouring countries to enhance the surveillance and management of infectious diseases and other public health threats.
He cited engagements with health officials in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, alongside a tripartite meeting held to share information and assess developments across the three countries.
According to him, such engagements are crucial given the frequent movement of people across national borders and the need for timely information-sharing to facilitate effective responses to emerging health threats.
“We’ve held a cross-border meeting with our counterparts in Burkina, we’ve had one with our counterparts in Côte d’Ivoire, Ivory Coast, and we’ve had a tripartite meeting to know what is happening there and what is happening here. How do we compare those and solve these issues?” he said.
