Ghana intensifies Ebola preparedness following outbreaks in DRC and Uganda
Ghana has stepped up its Ebola preparedness and response measures following recent outbreaks of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
According to Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), authorities have reinforced surveillance, laboratory testing, case management, and infection prevention systems to ensure any imported case is quickly detected and contained.
He explained that Ghana already had an Ebola preparedness framework from previous outbreaks, which has now been updated to address the current situation.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said revised case definitions have been distributed to health facilities nationwide to aid in the identification, reporting, and management of suspected infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that, as of June 3, 2026, the DRC had confirmed 344 Ebola cases and 60 deaths across 24 health zones in the Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces.
WHO also noted that suspected cases in the DRC had dropped to 116 from more than 1,000 recorded the previous week as investigations continue.
In Uganda, officials have confirmed 15 Ebola cases and one death, including a Congolese national who reportedly travelled through the United Arab Emirates before entering the country.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said Ghana currently has three laboratories capable of confirming Ebola infections: the National Public Health and Reference Laboratory in Accra, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR).
He noted that clinicians who suspect Ebola cases can submit samples to any of these facilities for testing.
Enhanced surveillance has also been introduced at points of entry, including the Kotoka International Airport, where travellers arriving from high-risk countries will undergo additional screening, including temperature checks and health assessments.
The GHS has further engaged stakeholders at airports and border posts to strengthen sanitation, hand hygiene, and environmental cleaning measures.
On treatment preparedness, Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said facilities such as the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC), the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and other designated centres across the country are ready to handle suspected or confirmed Ebola cases if needed.
He added that any suspected case detected at a point of entry would be isolated immediately and transferred safely to a designated treatment centre for further care.
The GHS has also intensified public education and risk communication campaigns, while the Ministry of Health continues to issue advisories to update the public on preventive measures and developments.
Although Ghana has not recorded any Ebola case, Dr Asiedu-Bekoe stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance due to increased international travel and the potential risk of cross-border transmission.
Meanwhile, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, criticised blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries in response to the outbreak, saying they were disrupting supply chains and affecting response efforts.
He instead encouraged countries to adopt exit screening measures at airports, ports, and border crossings to reduce the international spread of the disease.
Dr Tedros also disclosed that WHO and its partners are accelerating clinical trials as the DRC battles the outbreak without approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
On May 17, 2026, WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations.
WHO says there are currently no approved vaccines or specific therapeutics for the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola.
Bundibugyo virus disease is a severe and often fatal form of Ebola believed to originate from fruit bats, which are considered the natural reservoir of the virus. The disease spreads through close contact with infected animals or direct exposure to the blood, body fluids, or contaminated materials of infected persons.
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