Dr Kingsley Agyemang raises concerns over Ghana’s Ebola preparedness gaps

A member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has raised concerns about Ghana’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak, warning that the country’s emergency response systems remain weak outside Accra.

His comments come as the World Health Organisation raises alarm over the rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda. The WHO has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to fears of cross-border transmission.

The latest outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO says the outbreak has spread across parts of eastern DRC, particularly Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with cases also recorded in Uganda.

As of May 21, the WHO reported 746 suspected cases and 176 suspected deaths in the DRC, while confirmed cases across the DRC and Uganda had risen to 85, including 10 deaths. More recent updates indicate suspected cases may have crossed 900, with over 220 suspected deaths recorded.

The outbreak has been worsened by insecurity, attacks on health facilities, overcrowded displacement camps and weak healthcare systems in affected communities, with the WHO warning that the disease is spreading faster than containment efforts.

In Ghana, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has assured the public that surveillance, screening and emergency response systems have been strengthened to prevent any possible outbreak in the country.

However, speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV, Dr Agyemang disagreed with suggestions that Ghana is fully prepared.

According to him, preparedness assessments by the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health appear to be heavily focused on selected facilities in Accra, creating what he described as a false impression of nationwide readiness.

He argued that Ghana’s health security should be assessed from the district level upwards, particularly in remote and underserved communities where emergency response infrastructure remains limited.

Dr Agyemang questioned how district and regional hospitals would respond if an Ebola case were detected in areas such as Sege, Ada, or other communities outside the capital.

He said preparedness cannot be judged by demonstrations in a few urban hospitals while several facilities across the country continue to struggle with logistics, surveillance capacity and emergency coordination systems.

He described Ghana’s overall response capacity for highly infectious diseases as “woefully inadequate”, particularly in the areas of disease surveillance, rapid response and medical logistics.

“I strongly think our overall emergency response to highly infectious diseases is woefully inadequate, especially regarding logistics and disease surveillance. We can do better,” he stated.

Dr Agyemang further called for increased investment in district and regional health infrastructure, improved training for frontline health workers and stronger emergency response systems nationwide.

He stressed that Ghana’s preparedness against Ebola and other infectious diseases must extend beyond Accra to ensure all regions are adequately equipped to respond effectively to any potential outbreak.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)