Ghana has not been spared in the COVID-19 crisis, but the country started its preparedness activities early.
As part of its surveillance response activities with support from WHO and Norway, Ghana has now put in place an expanded contact tracing system to identify contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
WHO has supported contact tracing in Ghana, especially in Greater Accra, the region with the highest number of cases, with funding from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
So far, WHO has provided technical and financial support to boost contact tracing activities as well as to strengthen contact tracing field teams and data management. As part of WHO’s assistance, contract tracers received training and logistical support. Staff were also trained on data collection related to outbreak response management and analysis.
As a result, the number of new cases identified has increased by 64% through tracing and collecting samples from over 18 000 contacts in one month.
Support from the WHO, along with the dedication of health staff, led to the identification of numerous cases which would not have been otherwise detected and the slowed the further spread of the disease. The improved data collection also allows authorities to make evidence-based decisions on containment measures.
WHO’s support to the greater Accra Region was made possible through the Global Health Preparedness Programme (GHPP) of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) with funding from the Government of Norway.
WHO thanks all donors and partners who have contributed to fund the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to combat COVID-19. A special appreciation goes to Member States and other contributors who provided flexible funds, making it possible for WHO to deliver a coherent, strategic and broad response.