Ghana ready to contain ebola, hantavirus - GHS D-G assures

Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), says Ghana is "fully prepared to contain any Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks in the country." He made the remarks on Monday, May 25, during an inspection tour of selected health facilities and points of entry in Accra.

The tour included visits to the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre, Nyaho Medical Centre, the Kotoka International Airport and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Dr Kaba Akoriyea said Ghana has adequate experience and systems in place to manage infectious disease outbreaks, having dealt with both COVID-19 and previous Ebola preparedness exercises. He stated, "So when it comes to preparedness, we are ready, we are prepared. And when it comes to all the phases of preparedness, sample transportation, case detection, treatment of cases and risk communication, we are very ready because we have personnel with experience managing Ebola and COVID." He added that health authorities had already intensified preparations during concerns over possible outbreaks of other viral diseases, including Hantavirus.

Officials say the visits are intended to ensure that all emergency response systems remain functional and capable of responding swiftly in the event of a confirmed case in Ghana. The inspection exercise focused on key areas considered critical in outbreak control, including laboratory capacity, case management systems, communication structures and surveillance at points of entry.