Ebola red alert: Health Ministry activates national emergency protocols

The Ministry of Health has activated strict national emergency health protocols across all 16 regions of Ghana to safeguard the country against a potential outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. This immediate declaration follows an extensive operational tour by the sector minister to assess border surveillance, medical isolation systems, and emergency preparedness at the nation's primary international gateways. The multi-site working visit took place on Friday, May 29, 2026.

The leadership of the health sector inspected critical screening installations at the Accra International Airport (AIA) before touring diagnostic laboratories at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and specialised containment units at the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC). The minister acknowledged that while current port health checks are active and functional, the state must rapidly transition to more advanced, non-contact digital detection mechanisms. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health, underscored that institutional readiness alone cannot avert a national health crisis without absolute public cooperation. He directed all public institutions, transport unions, local government authorities, and event organizers to immediately reintroduce strict hand-hygiene and sanitation mandates across the country. Mr. Akandoh warned sternly, "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, there should not be mass gatherings. We have issued that advisory, and we still stand by it."

Professor Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, assured the government delegation that the facility's high-containment biosafety laboratories have been heavily resourced with the necessary chemical reagents and are structurally prepared to handle accurate, high-speed differential testing for any suspected Ebola cases. Dr. Fiona Braka,