The Ministry of Health has announced a 21-day monitoring programme for travellers arriving in Ghana from countries experiencing active transmission of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, as part of intensified efforts to prevent the disease from being imported into and spreading within the country. Under the arrangement, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) will maintain contact with the affected travellers throughout the monitoring period to check on their health. They are expected to remain reachable and promptly report any symptoms they may experience.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, the Ministry explained that the measure forms part of strengthened public health interventions being implemented at the country’s international airports to guard against the importation and spread of the disease. It stated that travellers arriving from countries with active Ebola transmission would be monitored for up to 21 days, with the GHS conducting follow-ups using their contact details. The travellers are also required to immediately notify designated health officials if they develop any symptoms.
The Ministry further indicated that all passengers arriving in Ghana would undergo screening by Port Health officers, including temperature checks and assessments of their health declaration forms and travel histories. Travellers must disclose any visits to or transit through Ebola-affected countries within the previous 21 days, as well as any contact with suspected or confirmed cases of the disease.
Passengers exhibiting symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe weakness or unexplained bleeding will be referred for further medical assessment and, if necessary, temporary isolation and treatment. The Ministry cautioned that passengers who provide misleading information, conceal symptoms or fail to cooperate with screening procedures could be subjected to public health measures in accordance with Ghanaian law.
It has also directed hotels, conference centres and similar establishments to notify the nearest district health directorate whenever they accommodate guests from affected countries and ensure that their contact information is available. Despite the heightened surveillance, the Ministry emphasised that Ghana has not recorded any confirmed case of Ebola, describing the interventions as precautionary measures.
It urged the public to obtain information on the outbreak exclusively from official sources, particularly the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, while cautioning against the circulation of unverified reports. The announcement comes amid the spread of Ebola in parts of Africa, with the latest outbreak reportedly accounting for more than 5,300 deaths, predominantly in the
(DRC).
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), more than 10,400 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak was declared in May, with the fatality rate exceeding 50 per cent. The disease has also spread beyond the DRC, with confirmed infections reported in Uganda and Kenya, which recorded its first-ever Ebola cases in October.
