The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has asked all regional, district and local health directors to be on high alert for the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
This follows the recording of an outbreak of the disease in West African country, Guinea.
Guinea confirmed seven cases of the deadly virus on February 14, 2021, leading to the death of three persons.
“EVD is a severe, often fatal illness in humans caused by the Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. It can be transmitted through contact with body fluids of a person infected with the virus,” the GHS stated in a letter to its regional health directors.
GHS further directed all regions, districts and health facilities to initiate preparedness and response plans of EVD.
“All Regional and District Public Health Emergency Management Committees should include EVD on their agenda. Additionally, regions, districts, health facilities, port health units at all border posts particularly along the Western border and all landing beaches are to heighten surveillance for EVD using the standard case definition. They are also requested to remind all Ghanaians and residents in Ghana on the need to protect themselves from the disease,” the letter indicated.
The GHS letter reiterated the Ebola preventive measures as follows:
Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of people who show any of the Ebola symptoms
Practice hand hygiene: frequent handwashing with soap and under running water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids
Avoid contact with dead bodies, including participating in funeral or burial rituals of suspected or confirmed Ebola cases
Avoid contact with animals or with raw or undercooked meat
Do not handle bushmeat
Seek medical care immediately if one develops a fever (body temperature 38°C or above) or other symptoms such as severe headache, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.
*Ebola in West Africa*
The Ebola virus disease first outbreak in West Africa was recorded on December 26, 2013.
The outbreak in West Africa at the time was considered the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history. It caused socioeconomic disruption and killed some 11,323 persons in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri