Ghana steps up Ebola checks after cases in Kenya and Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
Ghana’s Ministry of Health has stepped up surveillance, airport screening and emergency preparedness in response to Ebola cases reported in Kenya and Nigeria, amid an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. No cases have been detected in Ghana, but authorities want to improve the detection and management of suspected infections, according to the ministry.
Ghana has stepped up health surveillance, airport screening of travellers and emergency preparedness following Ebola cases reported in Kenya and Nigeria, while an outbreak continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. No cases have been recorded in the country, Ghana’s Ministry of Health said in a post shared by its spokesperson, Tony Goodman.
The ministry considers direct air links and passenger volumes between Kenya and Ghana to pose a particular risk. Frequent travel between Nigeria and Ghana is also a concern following confirmation of a case in the territory of the Nigerian Federal Capital on 20 October.
Kenya reported an imported case caused by the Bundibugyo virus on 6 October, followed by six other cases linked to the first by 17 October, including infections among healthcare workers. In Ghana, simulation exercises have been conducted at Accra International Airport and the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre. The ministry also said that travellers arriving from risk areas will be monitored during their stay and that laboratory protocols are being strengthened.
The Ministry of Health coordinated these measures with the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Airports Company and the Civil Aviation Authority. Nigeria became the fifth country affected by Ebola, according to an earlier account of the outbreak’s spread (Nigeria, the fifth country affected).
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
