The Ghana Health Service, through its Port Health Department, has received Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other essential supplies from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with funding support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), aimed at strengthening infection prevention, surveillance and health screening at the country’s Points of Entry.
The items were formally presented at a handover ceremony held at the Accra International Airport, marking a further step in ongoing efforts to bolster Ghana’s public health security infrastructure at border points nationwide
According to the Ghana Health Service, the donated items included Personal Protective Equipment, face masks, hand sanitisers, gloves, detergents, pull-up banners, digital tablets and tablet stands.
These resources are expected to support a wide range of activities, including traveller screening, disease surveillance, data collection, risk communication, infection prevention and control, and broader emergency response operations at the airport.
The items were received on behalf of the Director of Public Health, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, by the Deputy Director of the Port Health Department, Dr Alphonsus C. Nindow, who commended both Global Affairs Canada and IOM for the initiative during the handover ceremony.
Dr Nindow reaffirmed the importance of continued partnership and collaboration in strengthening public health security, noting that screening and other public health activities conducted at Points of Entry remain critical to safeguarding the country against emerging and re-emerging disease threats circulating globally.
“Screening and other public health activities at Points of Entry are critical to safeguarding health security, particularly as the world continues to face emerging and re-emerging disease threats,”
Dr Nindow
Assurance Of Appropriate Us
Dr Nindow assured the partners that the donated items would be put to appropriate and effective use in strengthening the day-to-day operations of Port Health officials stationed at the airport.
He expressed particular appreciation to IOM for its continued support toward strengthening Ghana’s broader public health preparedness and response capacity.
He further noted that the newly received equipment, particularly the digital tablets, would specifically enhance the Department’s surveillance and data management capabilities at the Accra International Airport, an area increasingly reliant on digital tools for efficient traveller screening and record-keeping.
“The equipment will enhance the Department’s work, particularly in surveillance and data management at the AIA,”
Dr Nindow
Commendation For Port Health Officials
Beyond acknowledging the donor partners, Dr Nindow also took the opportunity to commend Port Health officials for their continued dedication and commitment to protecting the health of travellers passing through Ghana’s borders, as well as the wider public who depend on effective disease surveillance at points of entry.
The handover forms part of a broader IOM-implemented project titled “Enhancing Cross-Border Public Health Preparedness and Response to Flood-Related Health Risks,” which is funded by Global Affairs Canada.
This project framing suggests that the donated equipment is intended not only to support routine health screening operations, but also to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to respond to health risks that may arise in connection with flooding and other climate-related emergencies affecting cross-border movement.
Strengthening Ghana’s Public Health Security Architecture
The donation adds to a broader pattern of international support aimed at strengthening Ghana’s public health infrastructure at its borders, an area that has drawn increased global attention in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Countries worldwide continue to invest in stronger surveillance and screening systems at points of entry to guard against the cross-border spread of infectious diseases.
With the newly donated PPEs, digital tablets and other essential supplies now in the hands of Port Health officials at the Accra International Airport.
Attention will likely turn to how effectively these resources are integrated into daily operations, and whether similar support is extended to other Points of Entry across the country as part of Ghana’s continued efforts to strengthen its cross-border public health preparedness.
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