The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has appealed to the government to urgently strengthen Ghana’s health emergency preparedness following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 26, 2026, the MP stated that the development in Nigeria was a serious warning for Ghana and the wider West African sub-region, insisting that infectious diseases do not respect national borders.
Nigeria confirmed the case on October 20, 2026, involving a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda to Nigeria.
She developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical care in Abuja on October 11, and laboratory tests later confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The World Health Organization says the patient is in isolation and receiving care, while contact tracing is underway.
Dr. Agyemang acknowledged that no Ebola case has been confirmed in Ghana as of the latest official update.
But, he warned that this should not lead to complacency.
“Ghana must not wait for its first confirmed Ebola case before discovering gaps in its public health emergency response system,” he said.
He argued that Ghana’s extensive travel networks, commercial activities, and movement of people across the sub-region create possible routes for disease transmission.
According to him, previous Ebola outbreaks have shown that early detection, strong surveillance, and rapid response remain the country’s best protection.
The lawmaker welcomed the Ministry of Health’s announcement of intensified surveillance and preparedness measures, including enhanced monitoring at the Kotoka International Airport.
However, he said announcements alone were not enough.
He urged the government, through the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, to:
• Strengthen surveillance at all major points of entry, especially land borders.
• Activate regional and district rapid response teams.
• Assess the readiness of isolation and treatment facilities.
• Ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, diagnostic materials and infection-prevention resources.
• Provide practical training, emergency simulation exercises, laboratory preparedness and clear referral protocols for frontline health workers.
Dr. Agyemang also stressed the need for the prompt release of funds to support preparedness, rather than waiting until a confirmed case exposes weaknesses in the system.
The MP raised concerns about what he described as insufficient publicly demonstrated progress since he first raised issues on Ghana’s public health emergency preparedness in a statement on March 27, 2026.
He questioned whether government was unwilling to invest in preventive measures or whether resources had simply not been prioritised.
Dr. Agyemang therefore asked the Minister for Health to account to Parliament and the public on funds allocated, released and utilised for emergency preparedness, as well as evidence of operational improvements achieved since March.
He further urged health authorities to maintain timely, transparent and evidence-based public communication.
According to him, Ghanaians should be educated on Ebola symptoms, preventive measures and the appropriate channels for reporting suspected cases, without creating unnecessary fear.
Dr. Agyemang also called for stronger regional collaboration with the WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and neighbouring countries to improve information sharing and coordinated responses.
“Preparedness today is the surest protection against a public health emergency tomorrow,” he stated.
The WHO has urged countries in the region to maintain a high level of readiness as the outbreak continues to evolve.
By Benjamin Aidoo
