The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has activated its preparedness arrangements for Ebola and conducted simulation exercises as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s ability to respond to a possible outbreak.
The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, said the institution was monitoring developments across affected countries and coordinating with relevant institutions to assess potential risks to Ghana.
He said the country had intensified surveillance and emergency planning following reports of Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as well as concerns about possible cross-border transmission.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, October 26, Dr Kaba Akoriyea said Ghana was in the preparedness phase and had begun testing its response arrangements through simulation exercises.
“So 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 explained.
Emergency operations centre on alert
Dr Kaba Akoriyea said the GHS was using its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at Pantang to monitor international health developments and coordinate preparedness activities.
He said the centre operated around the clock, allowing health officials to track emerging threats and respond to developments that could have implications for 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 sated.
“You can go and see. We don’t sleep, work 24 hours, and we see whatever is happening.”
The Director-General said the Service had carried out about three simulation exercises since concerns about the disease emerged in the region, adding that preparedness activities had begun earlier when the outbreak in the DRC was reported.
“Yesterday, I’ll tell you, we’ve already done about three simulation exercises since we heard of the issue in Kenya.
“When it started in DRC, we activated our system. In Congo, in Kenya, we started with simulation exercise.”
Simulation exercises are used to test how institutions would coordinate their response to a public health emergency, including the identification and management of suspected cases, communication between agencies and the mobilisation of resources.
33 agencies involved in preparedness
Dr Kaba Akoriyea said Ghana’s preparations involved a broad range of institutions beyond the health sector, reflecting the need for a coordinated response if an outbreak occurred.
He said he had attended meetings involving agencies responsible for education, security, social welfare, local government and emergency management.
“And today, alone, I have gone to meetings where we have cross-border issues.
“And I can provide you with the list, and you can cross-check. You have education, you have military, you have police, you have welfare, you have local government, you have all the necessary agencies, present including NADMO, you have them all, about 33 agencies.”
He named 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 among the institutions involved.
The involvement of multiple agencies is intended to support coordination in areas such as emergency response, public communication, security, logistics and the management of people who may be affected by a health emergency.
Cross-border cooperation
The GHS Director-General said Ghana was also working with neighbouring countries to strengthen cooperation on infectious diseases and other health threats that could move across borders.
He cited recent engagements with counterparts in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as a tripartite meeting to compare developments and discuss possible responses.
He said the meetings were particularly important because of the movement of people across borders and the need for countries to share information promptly.
“So 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?”