The Ministry of Health has activated strict national emergency health protocols across all 16 regions of Ghana to safeguard the country against a potential outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.

The immediate declaration follows an extensive, high-stakes operational tour by the sector minister to assess the structural integrity of border surveillance, medical isolation systems, and emergency preparedness at the nation’s primary international gateways.

The multi-site working visit, which took place on Friday, May 29, 2026, saw the leadership of the health sector inspect critical screening installations at the Accra International Airport (AIA) before touring diagnostic laboratories at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and specialised containment units at the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC).

The high-level assessment was engineered to stress-test the state’s medical readiness and cross-border surveillance capabilities. The aggressive mobilisation comes on the heels of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the rare, highly virulent Bundibugyo Ebola strain a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Tightening Airport and Land Border Loops

At the Accra International Airport, the ministerial delegation scrutinised passenger screening points, thermal scanning lines, and emergency holding bays.

The minister acknowledged that while current port health checks are active and functional, the state must rapidly transition to more advanced, non-contact digital detection mechanisms to completely eliminate human error.

Addressing the media after the inspection, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, underscored that institutional readiness alone cannot avert a national health crisis without absolute public cooperation.

Taking an uncompromising stance on public health management, the minister directed all public institutions, transport unions, local government authorities, and event organizers to immediately reintroduce strict hand-hygiene and sanitation mandates across the country.

“It’s very important for all of us to cooperate. We are taking activities at the land borders seriously; if there’s any case, we’re ready. There’s no cause for panic; nobody should panic. All should adhere to the safety measures. From today, there should not be mass gatherings. We have issued that advisory, and we still stand by it,” Mr Akandoh warned sternly.

Noguchi Resourced for High-Speed Testing

Following the airport simulation exercises, the team inspected the advanced diagnostic infrastructure at the nation’s premier biomedical laboratory, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The Director of the Institute, Professor Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, assured the government delegation that the facility’s high-containment biosafety laboratories have been heavily resourced with the necessary chemical reagents and are structurally prepared to handle accurate, high-speed differential testing for any suspected Ebola cases.

Accompanying the minister on the inter-agency tour was the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative to Ghana, Dr Fiona Braka.

Dr Braka highlighted the severe scientific and epidemiological challenges presented by this particular Bundibugyo strain, urging regional leaders to treat border management with maximum urgency while the international community races to deploy specialised vaccine candidates.