The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has placed the country’s borders and entry points on high alert following the confirmation of four Mpox cases.
The move is part of intensified public health measures aimed at curbing the potential spread of the virus across regions and from international travelers.
According to a statement signed by the Director General of the GHS, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the newly reported cases were detected in the Greater Accra and Western Regions.
Notably, the two latest cases have no known epidemiological links to the initial ones, raising concern about undetected community spread.
READ: GHS Confirms Two New Cases in Greater Accra and Western Regions
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, the Deputy Director of GHS, Dr. Caroline Rendorf Amissah, revealed that all border posts and ports of entry have been officially alerted to enhance surveillance and screening processes.
She emphasized the importance of gathering travel histories and close-contact data of confirmed patients, as part of efforts to track and contain the virus.
According to her, GHS has also begun public sensitization and staff training to ensure early detection, strict adherence to infection prevention and control protocols, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by health workers.
The service is urging the public to maintain high hygiene standards, particularly regular handwashing, avoid close contact with individuals exhibiting rash or flu-like symptoms, and promptly report any suspected cases to nearby health facilities.
Mpox, a viral disease, spreads through close contact with infected individuals, animals, or contaminated materials. Symptoms typically include rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and body aches.
She said, “So what we have done, like I said, as part of activating our public health measures, we have alerted all our facilities. We have also alerted our borders. You know that for us, we have various ports of entry, so it’s not just the borders with Togo, wherever people are coming in, so people who are confirmed, we do take their history. So we are interested in their travel history, we are interested in where they have been, who they have been in contact with, what they do, where they stay, who they live with. We do follow up for all these to find out. So we have activated all these other ports of entry that you are aware of.”
Dr. Amissah added, “So like I mentioned, we are sensitizing the public, and not just the public, but the health staff, importantly. So apart from being able to identify cases, we are also sensitizing them to activate their or follow strict infection prevention and control measures. So our staff, we have to gear up where appropriate, PPEs, your mask, your gloves. And then for the public, we are using a very specific and regional communication channel.”
“So we are putting information out there on social media. We are telling people what their rashes look like, what their illness looks like, how people will protect themselves. So currently, we need people to keep their hand washing hygiene, their hand hygiene, very active, just like we had during COVID, because this is a contact illness.”
Health authorities are urging calm but heightened vigilance, especially in communities near border areas, as Ghana works to prevent further spread of the disease.
