Omanghana
Ghana has not recorded any case of Ebola, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization have confirmed.
Health authorities are nevertheless strengthening surveillance, laboratory readiness and infection-control systems in response to the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The outbreak was first confirmed in the DRC and Uganda in May 2026. On May 17, the WHO declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, triggering a coordinated international response.
Uganda declared the end of its outbreak on July 28 after completing the required monitoring period without detecting a new infection. The country recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, while the outbreak in the DRC remains active.
The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a comparatively rare member of the Ebola virus group. Unlike the Zaire strain involved in several previous epidemics, there is currently no licensed vaccine or specifically approved antiviral treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Patients receive supportive medical care, including treatment for dehydration, complications and other infections. Researchers are also evaluating potential vaccines and therapies.
As part of Ghana’s preparedness program, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh led an assessment of the country’s main public-health response facilities.
The delegation visited Accra International Airport to review screening and surveillance systems at one of Ghana’s busiest entry points.
Officials also inspected the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to assess laboratory testing capacity and visited the Ga East Municipal Hospital, a designated referral center for infectious diseases.
The Ghana Health Service is maintaining surveillance at health facilities and points of entry to support the early identification, isolation and testing of suspected cases.
The WHO has donated infection-prevention and emergency-response supplies to the Ministry of Health following a request from the Ghanaian government.
The consignment included examination and surgical gloves, chlorine, hand disinfectant, face masks, face shields, protective coveralls and temperature-screening devices.
The equipment will support border surveillance, case management and the protection of frontline health workers if a suspected infection is detected.
Public anxiety increased in July after the South African Broadcasting Corporation incorrectly reported that Ghana had recorded 2,300 Ebola cases and 930 deaths.
The false figures appeared in a scrolling news ticker during an SABC broadcast on July 20. Ghana’s Ministry of Health immediately rejected the report and assured the public that the country remained free of the disease.
SABC subsequently retracted the claim and apologized for the error, acknowledging that the statistics had been wrongly attributed to Ghana.
The Ministry of Health has advised the public to rely on verified updates from the ministry, Ghana Health Service and WHO rather than unconfirmed social-media posts.
Ebola does not spread through ordinary airborne transmission. Infection occurs primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, contaminated materials or the body of someone who has died from the disease.
Health officials continue to recommend regular handwashing, prompt reporting of suspected symptoms and strict adherence to infection-prevention measures in healthcare facilities.
Anyone who develops symptoms after recent travel to an affected area or contact with a suspected case should contact health authorities before visiting a medical facility, allowing trained personnel to arrange safe assessment and testing.
Source: Omanghana
