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Disease outbreaks stem from system failures, not border issues – Prof. Ernest Kenu:
The Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control at the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Kenu, has warned that infectious diseases continue to spread in Ghana not because of weak border controls but due to failures within the country’s health and sanitation systems.
Delivering his inaugural lecture at the University of Ghana’s Great Hall on Thursday, June 25, under the theme, “Disease Smuggling: The Unseen Cargo in Global Health Security – Lessons from Cholera and COVID-19 in Ghana,” Prof. Kenu said disease-causing germs move silently through contaminated water, poor sanitation, overcrowded spaces and weak surveillance systems.
According to him, Ghana’s first documented cholera case was recorded in September 1970 after a traveller from Togo collapsed at the then Accra International Airport.
However, he said the outbreak’s actual source was a Ghanaian fisherman who had died in Togo and whose body was brought back home by relatives, unknowingly carrying the cholera bacteria.
Since then, he said, Ghana has recorded more than 15 cholera outbreaks, with poor sanitation continuing to fuel the disease.
Prof. Kenu disclosed that in 2014, Greater Accra alone recorded 20,199 cholera cases and that nearly 80 per cent of the country’s index cases were linked to prior travel to the capital.
He further revealed that during the 2016 cholera outbreak in Cape Coast, visiting a treatment centre increased a person’s chances of becoming infected by twelve times, turning healthcare facilities into centres of transmission.
The epidemiologist stressed that simple handwashing with soap and running water could reduce diarrhoeal diseases by between 32 and 48 per cent and provide a return of two dollars for every one dollar invested in handwashing programmes.
Touching on the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Kenu said the virus entered Ghana in March 2020 through travellers from Turkey and Norway.
He said the government responded quickly by closing the country’s borders, imposing restrictions and introducing enhanced surveillance measures, including testing everyone living within a one-to-two-kilometre radius of a confirmed case.
According to him, studies on the first 17,763 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ghana showed that nearly 80 per cent of infected persons had no symptoms, allowing the virus to spread unnoticed.
He revealed that only 12.3 per cent of people observed proper hand hygiene in public spaces, while nearly 60 per cent of people wore face masks incorrectly during the pandemic.
Prof. Kenu said delays in laboratory test results, which in some cases lasted up to 10 days, also contributed to the spread of the virus.
He noted that when Ghana reopened its borders, health authorities successfully integrated COVID-19 surveillance into the country’s existing influenza-like illness surveillance system, improving efficiency and strengthening disease monitoring.
In an unexpected development, Prof. Kenu said a Phase II clinical trial for a new cholera treatment conducted between 2021 and 2023 failed because there were no patients to enrol.
He explained that the improved handwashing and hygiene practices introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic had reduced cholera transmission so significantly that the trial ended without recording a single cholera case.
The professor noted that poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene practices currently cost Ghana between US$290 million and US$500 million annually, representing about 1.6 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Warning of future threats, Prof. Kenu said Ghana could face outbreaks from antimicrobial-resistant cholera strains, new coronavirus variants, Ebola or other unknown diseases emerging from environmental and ecological changes.
He called on the country to invest in field epidemiology training, decentralised laboratory systems, community-based surveillance and integrated digital disease monitoring systems.
“Disease smuggling will never stop at passport control points. It ends when our systems function effectively and when every citizen becomes part of disease surveillance,” he stated.
Prof. Kenu urged authorities to improve access to safe water, strengthen sanitation systems, enforce infection prevention measures in health facilities and promote proper handwashing practices to protect the country from future outbreaks.
Chairperson of the event and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said Professor Kenu’s lecture had highlighted the fact that some of the world’s greatest public health threats are often invisible and can spread silently if systems are not prepared to respond.
She noted that the lessons from Ghana’s experiences with cholera and COVID-19 showed the importance of investing in strong health systems, disease surveillance and preventive measures to protect lives and livelihoods.
Prof. Amfo further urged policymakers, researchers and the public to apply the lessons from the lecture by prioritising public health and strengthening the country’s preparedness for future disease outbreaks, stressing that health security is a shared responsibility.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
