Ghana - IOM Ghana, under its Ebola (EVD) preparedness project, has organized a series of training workshops at eight points of entry across the country aimed at building the capacity of frontline officers to detect and manage potential cases of Ebola at borders.

The trainings target officials at Tema and Takoradi ports; Kotoka international airport; and the Elubo, Aflao, Paga, Hamile and Sampa border crossing points.

The training was designed to better prepare them to include EVD and other communicable disease surveillance in their daily work. New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for strengthened border health surveillance in Ghana have also been rolled out.

IOM has put a special emphasis on empowering officers to protect themselves from Ebola or any other infectious disease in the line of duty. The objective was for frontline staff who often conduct inspections with bare hands, to understand the importance of wearing gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has claimed an unprecedented number of doctors, nurses and other health care workers’ lives. One of the reasons for this was shortages of PPE and their improper use.

The IOM training therefore included a practical demonstration of how to properly wear and remove PPE, especially the proper wearing, removal and disposal of used gloves. Each officer practiced correct hand hygiene and gloves disinfection procedures.

Between 28 July and 2 October 2015, over 740 frontline officers from the Port Health Unit of the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Immigration Service and the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority complete the training.

The project also donated PPE and hygiene equipment, including over 100 full PPE suits; 54 non-contact infra-red thermometers; 56,000 pairs of disposable hand gloves; 35,900 face masks; 185 disposable aprons; 14 knapsack sprayers; 26 Veronica bucket systems and quantities of bleach, alcohol disinfectant, hand sanitizers, and washing soap to the points of entry. Eight computers and printers will also be donated to the sites shortly.  

Another key component of IOM’s intervention will be social mobilization activities aimed at empowering community leaders to raise awareness and increase their communities’ knowledge of the causes, symptoms and modes of prevention of EVD in order to promote behaviour change. Awareness campaigns will include the distribution of information material, comic strips, radio messages and the organization of community meetings.

The IOM programme is supported by the Government of Japan and the Canadian Government through a UN joint programme. It is implemented in close collaboration with Ghana Health Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Revenue Authority and UN partners. 

For further information please contact PK Mensah at IOM Ghana, Tel: +233 244 328 105, Email: pkmensah@iom.int