GHANA—The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ghana Health Service with funding from the government of Japan, has set up mobile laboratories at four points of entry in Ghana.
The laboratories are aimed at facilitating swift and accurate detection and response to public health emergencies.
The laboratories are currently set up at Kotoka International Airport in Accra and the town of Aflao in the East, which is the entry point into Togo, Elubo in the West with the Ivory Coast and Paga in the Northeast is the entry point to Burkina Faso.
The provision of the points of entry mobile laboratories is part of a broader project by the UNDP aimed at ‘strengthening the community health system to support the continuity of essential services for the vulnerable during and post COVID-19 pandemic’.
The laboratories are well-equipped with state-of-the-art machines to support the early detection and management of public health threats.
The UNDP also strengthened the capacities of Port Health staff in Aflao, Elubo, Paga, and the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to support effective management and utilization of the laboratories.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony in Accra, the Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Ghana, Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov, emphasized the significant role of points of entry in economic development.
He also stressed on the importance of this in disease surveillance, risk communication, infection prevention and control during health emergencies, and calls for investment in emergency preparedness.
“Delivering on the promise to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will be impossible without adequate investment in pandemic preparedness. UNDP as the UN’s foremost development agency firmly believes this and acknowledges that being better prepared for future pandemics is a crucial component of human security,” added Khoshmukhamedov.
Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), in his remarks, recounted the country’s initial challenges at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic due to limited testing facilities.
Dr Patrick noted that in the last few years, Ghana has had to respond to COVID, Marburg, Lassa fever, and monkeypox.
He welcomed that the new facility aimed contribute to Ghana’s efforts in conducting tests for individuals who require testing for any emerging health condition.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Mochizuki Hisanobu, emphasized the importance of sustainable healthcare in tackling health challenges.
“I would like to thank UNDP, Ghana Health Service, Port Health Services for their cooperation, which is key to implementing different projects in Ghana. These collaborations and partnerships are critical to safeguarding Ghana’s progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage”, noted H.E. Mochizuki.
Lesson Learnt? Disease Surveillance Post COVID-19
A BMJ Global Health report, Integrated Disease Surveillance, and Response (IDSR) Strategy: status, challenges, and Perspectives for the Future in Africa, estimates that annually, over 100 infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies occur in the African region.
The leading cause, BMJ found was a globalized world that features dense human populations, an unprecedented volume of transnational movement, rapid travel, civil unrest and conflict, and global inequalities in economics and health.
In response to an increased number of disease outbreaks affecting African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Office (AFRO) introduced the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework in 1998.
Regrettably, this strategy never received the due investments it needed, and implementation was very poor both local and global resource streams favored vertical disease programs over an integrated approach.
Hopefully, the reorganization of the IDSR framework especially with the vital input of the last two decades will help it reach its objectives.
To address the challenges of the IDSR system, there is a need to develop an electronic platform that will combine data from multiple relevant databases i.e., from laboratories, research centres, and health management information systems.
The aim is to make optimal use of community, facility, and research-based epidemiological information in preparing the community to act before a health emergency happens.
With this platform, a continuing analysis and review of scientific publications, social media, routine health data, and demographic statistics can be established to feed different decision-making units.
The platform will foster improved utilization of surveillance data for action and avoid delays in response to emergencies by linking health indicators with other information such as climate data that can add value to inform health risks accurately.
A multi-sectoral approach should be used to pursue a common strategic goal of developing a workforce that can support public health surveillance and response.
Also, a new ongoing Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Program (REDISSE) by the West Africa Health Organisation will involve 16 nations in the region to address disease threats in a region prone to disease outbreaks.
Further east is the East African Integrated Disease Surveillance Network (EAIDSNet) is a regional collaborative initiative of the national ministries of the EAC Partner States responsible for human and animal health in collaboration with national health research and academic institutions.
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