The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced plans to begin mandatory Mpox screening of travellers into the country.
The move forms part of heightened surveillance in the wake of the outbreak of the Mpox disease in some 15 African countries.
The Director of Public Health at GHS, Dr. Franklin Asiedu Bekoe who disclosed this on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Thursday asked Ghanaians to be cautious.
He, however, did not mention whether it will be at a fee or free.
“The travellers will undergo screening for us to know they don’t have Mpox at the borders, land, sea and the airports. There will be guidelines at the hospitals for the doctors to know how to handle such cases. So we have an updated national plan,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the disease a global health emergency after it confirmed a total of 2030 cases and 13 deaths this year, compared with 1145 cases and seven deaths in the whole of 2023.
Four countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – previously unaffected by Mpox have reported cases since mid-July 2024.
Although the disease is rare, it can be deadly.
On the back of this, Dr Bekoe said GHS will immediately begin awareness and sensitisation.
“We will start making pictures to educate people and we will once again begin training and orientation for our staff. Early detection is important and thankfully, we have the reference laboratory and Noguchi to help with testing and confirmation of cases,” he added.
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