The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday, November 3, that all travelers arriving in Ghana from countries experiencing active transmission of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola will undergo a 21‑day monitoring period. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will contact these passengers during the monitoring window, requiring them to remain reachable and to report any symptoms immediately.
All passengers will also be screened by Port Health officers at Ghana’s international airports. Screening will include temperature checks, review of health declaration forms and travel histories, and disclosure of any visits to or transit through Ebola‑affected countries in the preceding 21 days. Passengers who exhibit symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe weakness or unexplained bleeding will be referred for further assessment and, where necessary, temporary isolation and medical care.
Passengers who provide false information, conceal symptoms or refuse to cooperate with screening may face public health measures under Ghanaian law. The Ministry has also directed hotels, conference venues and similar establishments to report guests from affected countries to the nearest district health directorate and maintain their contact details.
The Ministry stressed that Ghana has not recorded any confirmed case of Ebola and described the measures as precautionary. It urged the public to rely on official information from the Ministry and the GHS and to avoid spreading unverified reports about the outbreak.
The new measures follow the spread of the disease across the continent, with Africa’s latest outbreak reportedly claiming more than 5,300 lives, most of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the outbreak was declared in May, more than 10,400 cases have been confirmed, with a mortality rate exceeding 50%, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Uganda and Kenya have also reported their first-ever Ebola infections in October.
