Ghana News

The Acting Country Representative for WHO in Ghana, Dr. Neema Kimambo has reiterated the UN Family continued support and collaboration of the Government of Ghana in the phase of increasing COVID-19 infections.

COVID-19, a disease caused by the SARS coronavirus-2 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020., Ghana recorded its first two cases on March 12, 2020. As at November 1 2020, Ghana had recorded 48, 643 confirmed cases with 320 deaths.
The Government of Ghana, under the strong leadership and commitment of the President, His excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, responded quickly by instituting public health and social measures. Key among these public health measures was the strategy of ‘Trace, Test and Treat’ aimed at controlling the pandemic.

WHO has donated a Toyota Hilux Pickup to the West Akim Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service.  This is in support of case search and social science research; a component of the Yaws Eradication Programme currently being rolled out in Ghana.

Dr Owen Laws Kaluwa, has bid farewell to the Government and the People of Ghana after four years of meritorious service as Country Representative for the World Health Organization in Ghana. He paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to inform her of his end of service in Ghana.

The first World Patient Safety day was observed in Ghana on the 17th September 2019 with the opening of National Conference on Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality which took place from the 17-19 September 2019. The Ghana Health Service in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, agencies and Health Partners, such as WaterAid and Systems for health and WHO organized this conference to contribute to the Global effort in achieving Quality Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

Following confirmation of circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the environmental sample from Tamale Metropolis and also detection of Polio in a two (2) years, (9) nine months old child from Chereponi district of the North East Region, the Ministry of Health /Ghana Health Service declared the event a Public Health Emergency of National Concern.  Again on 25th August 2019, the National Polio Laboratory further notified the Ghana Health Service of confirmation of Polio in environmental surveillance sample taken from a drain at Agbogbloshie in Accra Metropolis in the Great

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched series of vaccination campaigns against polio outbreak to prevent the spread of the virus in high risk areas among children under five.
The first phase which is termed ‘round zero’ would ensure that children in all districts in Greater Accra who are eligible, are vaccinated from September 11 to 14th.
The polio outbreak response campaign comes after the health sector confirmed three events of circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) from 8 July this year.

Dr Owen Laws Kaluwa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, has called for improved funding for hepatitis testing and treatment services.
He noted that despite available diagnostic tools and effective treatment, less than one in ten of the 71 million people with hepatitis B and C in Africa had access to testing, and more than 200,000 die each year due to complications like end-stage liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

On 14 June 2019, Ghana joined the global community to celebrate World Blood Donor Day.

Ghana on Monday 3rd June 2019 joined  the rest of the world to celebrate World No Tobacco Day to increase awareness on the dangers of tobacco smoke to lung health and the fundamental role lungs played in the health and well-being of individuals.
The celebration on the theme: “Tobacco and Lung Health”, also aimed at raising awareness on cost-effective and feasible actions that key audiences, including governments and the public could take to reduce the risks to lung health posed by tobacco.