No Ebola outbreak in Ghana – MoH

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) have described as ‘fake’ the news in the social media that, there has been an outbreak of the deadly Ebola in Ghana.

GHS and MoH said the report is false and misleading since there is no incidence of Ebola in Ghana.

News of Ebola outbreak in the country went viral last week, creating fear and panic.

But a statement from GHS and MoH signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare on Monday, May 21, 2018, and copied to Prime News Ghana, “pleaded with the media and the general public to be advocates of good health and allay fear and panic”.

Read below the full statement:

21st May 2018

FAKE NEWS ON EBOLA IN GHANA

It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service through the social media reports which claim that there is an outbreak of Ebola in the country and the Health Authorities are trying to suppress the information.

We want to state emphatically that the report is false and misleading and that there is no such incidence of Ebola in Ghana.

Ebola is a highly infectious condition such that when there is an outbreak in a community there is no way the National Health System can keep it secret from the public.

The Health System is part the global community and mandated by International Health Regulation to report all such conditions if they occur.

We want to assure the general public that since the reported outbreak in DR Congo, the surveillance system has been intensified including the Points of Entries to detect any case should it occur.

We will plead with the media and the general public to be advocates of good health and allay fear and panic.

We also urge all to use their platform to educate the citizenry about the disease as contained in our Alert rather than promoting fear and panic.

The latest statement of the International Health Regulation (IHR) Emergency Committee on the outbreak is of the view that the outbreak in Congo DR is a local outbreak and has not met the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

There is therefore no restriction on trade or travel.  Countries are however encouraged to strengthen their preparedness to address any Public Health Emergency.

We want to assure Ghanaians and all persons living in Ghana that we are there to promote their welfare and safety.

Thank you.

…Signed…

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare

Director-General

Ghana Health Service

 

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