The Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, says the Ministry of Health is working on a national Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy aimed at strengthening public health care across the country.

According to him, recognising the transformative role of AI, the GHS has already developed internal guidelines to support the technology’s deployment in speeding up healthcare delivery.

A report by the National Library of Medicine on Epidemiological Transition and the Double Burden of Disease notes that fragmented and inconsistent data continue to hinder Ghana’s healthcare delivery and surveillance systems. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, tools like SORMAS improved real-time reporting, but discrepancies across different platforms led to duplication and data gaps.

Speaking at the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme’s (GFELTP) 8th Scientific Conference in Accra on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Dr. Asiedu Bekoe said, “For now, the service has guidelines on Artificial Intelligence and the Ministry is also trying to have a nationwide AI policy to improve public health in general.”

He emphasised the urgency of integrating AI into the national health system, noting that it “offers new opportunities for improving disease surveillance, enhancing laboratory diagnostics, and supporting faster evidence-based responses.”

The GFELTP, run by the Ghana Health Service, plays a key role in strengthening the country’s public health workforce. It also awards certificates annually to participants who complete its training.

This year’s two-day ceremony, which ends on Thursday, December 11, marked the graduation of the programme’s eighth cohort, preparing a new group of epidemiologists and laboratory professionals to respond effectively to disease outbreaks nationwide.