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Strengthening surveillance in Ghana against public health emergencies of international concern

Authors :
Motoi Adachi
Kiyosu Taniguchi
Hiroki Hori
Taketoshi Mizutani
Aya Ishizaka
Koichi Ishikawa
Tetsuro Matano
David Opare
Doris Arhin
Franklin Bekoe Asiedu
William Kwabena Ampofo
Dorothy Manu Yeboah
Kwadwo Ansah Koram
Abraham Kwabena Anang
Hiroshi Kiyono
Source :
Tropical Medicine and Health, Vol 50, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
BMC, 2022.

Abstract

Abstract Among western African countries, the Republic of Ghana has maintained an economic growth rate of 5% since the 1980s and is now categorized as a middle-income country. However, as with other developing countries, Ghana still has challenges in the effective implementation of surveillance for infectious diseases. Facing public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC), it is crucial to establish a reliable sample transportation system to the referral laboratory. Previously, surveillance capacity in Ghana was limited based on Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response, and therefore the “Surveillance and Laboratory Support for Emerging Pathogens of Public Health Importance in Ghana (SLEP)” was introduced to strengthen diarrhea surveillance. The SLEP project started with a sentinel diarrhea survey supported by SATREPS/JICA in collaboration with National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NHPRL) and Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medicine (NMIMR). The base-line survey revealed the limited capacity to detect diarrhea pathogens and to transfer samples from health centers to NHPRL. The involvement of private clinic/hospital facilities into the surveillance network is also crucial to strengthen surveillance in Ghana. The strong and interactive relationship between the two top referral laboratories, NHPRL under the Ministry of Health NMIMR and under the Ministry of Education, enables Ghana Health Services and is critical for the rapid response against PHEIC. In future, we hope that the outcome of the SLEP surveillance project could contribute to building a surveillance network with more timely investigation and transfer of samples to referral labs.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
13494147
Volume :
50
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Tropical Medicine and Health
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6242b6a02f8f41dea5fd418b9ef46a64
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-022-00473-w