Health Minister assures public of Ghana’s readiness to respond to Ebola

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured the public that Ghana is prepared to detect and respond to any potential Ebola case, following an inspection of screening and emergency response measures at Accra International Airport.

He said Ghana had not recorded any Ebola case and urged the public to remain calm, noting that the government had strengthened surveillance and response systems to protect the country against the disease.

Mr Akandoh explained that, in the absence of a specific treatment or vaccine for the Ebola strain of concern, early detection, contact tracing and effective containment were critical to preventing its spread.

As part of the preventive measures, he said thermal scanners had been installed at the airport to screen arriving passengers for symptoms that could indicate an infection.

The Minister also disclosed that electronic health declaration forms were being finalised to enable passengers travelling to Ghana to submit relevant health information before arrival.

According to him, the system would help health officials assess travellers and identify those who may require further investigation.

He said the Ministry would soon issue an official statement on the implementation of the electronic declaration system, after which airlines and airport authorities would be expected to ensure that passengers completed the forms.

Mr Akandoh added that designated facilities were available for the isolation and treatment of patients should a case be detected.

“We are ready, and we are praying we don’t record any case, but if we do, we are ready to do the needful,” he said.

He stressed that all arriving passengers must comply with the required screening procedures, regardless of their status.

The Minister further disclosed that the government was expanding screening capacity at the country’s land borders as part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s defences against infectious diseases.