Adoa News Adoa News
The Ministry of Health has announced a 21-day monitoring programme for travellers arriving in Ghana from countries experiencing ongoing transmission of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
The measure forms part of enhanced public health interventions aimed at preventing the disease from entering and spreading in the country.
Under the arrangement, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) will contact affected travellers for follow-up throughout the monitoring period. Travellers are expected to remain reachable and promptly report any symptoms they may develop.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, the Ministry explained that all passengers arriving in Ghana would undergo screening by Port Health officers at international airports.
The screening process will include temperature checks, reviews of health declaration forms and assessments of passengers’ travel histories.
Travellers will also be required to disclose whether they have visited or transited through Ebola-affected countries within the previous 21 days, as well as whether they have had contact with suspected or confirmed cases.
“Passengers arriving from countries with ongoing transmission will be monitored for up to 21 days. The Ghana Health Service will contact them for follow-up, and they must keep reachable contact details and report any symptoms immediately to the designated contact,” the statement said.
Passengers who exhibit symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe weakness or unexplained bleeding will be referred for further medical assessment. Where necessary, they may be placed in temporary isolation and provided with medical attention.
The Ministry cautioned that passengers who provide false information, conceal symptoms or refuse to cooperate with screening procedures could face public health measures in accordance with Ghanaian law.
It has also directed hotels, conference centres and similar establishments to report guests arriving from affected countries to the nearest district health directorate and maintain their contact information.
The Ministry emphasised that Ghana has not recorded any confirmed case of Ebola, describing the new measures as precautionary steps to protect public health.
It urged the public to rely on official updates from the Ministry and the Ghana Health Service and avoid circulating unverified information about the outbreak.
The announcement comes amid the spread of Ebola across parts of the African continent. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the latest outbreak has reportedly claimed more than 5,300 lives, with the majority of deaths recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
More than 10,400 cases have reportedly been confirmed since the outbreak was declared in May, with the mortality rate exceeding 50%.
The disease has also spread beyond the DRC, with confirmed cases reported in Uganda and Kenya, which recorded its first-ever Ebola infections in October.