Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced the immediate activation of national emergency health protocols to safeguard Ghana against a potential Ebola outbreak.
The declaration follows an extensive operational tour on Friday, May 29, during which the minister assessed surveillance and preparedness measures at key national gateways. His multi-site visit included inspections of screening facilities at Accra International Airport, as well as assessments at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC). The exercise was aimed at stress-testing the country’s readiness and cross-border surveillance systems.
This move comes in response to the World Health Organisation’s designation of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. At the airport, Mr. Akandoh reviewed passenger screening points and holding bays, noting that while current checks are functional, Ghana must adopt advanced digital detection systems to minimise human error and strengthen national defenses.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh underscored that institutional readiness alone cannot avert an outbreak without absolute public cooperation. He directed all public institutions, local government authorities, and event organisers to immediately reintroduce strict hygiene mandates across the country.
“It’s very important for all of us to cooperate. We are taking activities at the land borders seriously; if there’s any case, we’re ready. There’s no cause for panic; nobody should panic. All should adhere to the safety measures. From today [May 29], there should not be mass gatherings. We have issued that advisory, and we still stand by it,” he warned.
The team inspected the diagnostic infrastructure at the nation’s premier biomedical laboratory, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. The Director of the Institute, Professor Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, assured the delegation that the facility’s biosafety laboratories have been fully resourced and are structurally prepared to handle accurate, high-speed differential testing for suspected Ebola cases.
Accompanying the minister on the tour was the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative to Ghana, Dr. Fiona Braka. Dr. Braka. Dr. Braka highlighted the scientific challenges presented by this particular outbreak, but highly commended Ghana’s preemptive infrastructure mobilisation.
Source: Eno S. Safo
