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In a time of global pandemic, like what we are experiencing globally and in Ghana, what the world needs is leadership and the right strategy to deal with the impact of COVID-19. In Ghana, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his team at the Ghana Health Service, as well as the Ministry of Information, have demonstrated this and continue to do so. They have scored very high and have been decisive, clear and informative. Control measures of a partial closure in some parts of the country, mandatory quarantine, contact tracing and improved contact tracing have so far been effective in eradicating infections among the population of Ghana, one that has been admired by the WHO and other governments, and one that is worth emulation by the rest of the world.
By mid-April, a total of 50,719 tests had been performed, yielding 641 positive cases, representing 1.3% of all tests performed. There were 83 recoveries, indicating possible green shoots and a ray of hope in the fight against this pandemic. The mandatory quarantine of people through Kotoka International Airport yielded 105 positive cases out of 2,011 tests carried out (5.2% of the tests). At the Tamale airport, 11 tests yielded 10 positive cases (91% of those evaluated). Normal surveillance: contact tracking also yielded 268 positive cases out of a total of 13,838 people who were off the radar. The most exciting part of the strategy, one that has not been seen in many countries is, improved tracking of contacts of suspected cases within communities. 258 potentially infectious people tested positive out of a total of 34,859 people, representing 0.7%. However, this group represented 40% of all infections in Ghana at the time. This is an incredibly significant result in the fight against the coronavirus in Ghana. In what has been described as a “Catch Me If You Can” case, the virus is actually catching itself before spreading and infecting more people within local communities. In the last presidential broadcast in May, 160,501 tests were performed with 4,700 infections, 494 recoveries and 22 deaths.
Improved contact careers involve tracking those who have been in contact with those in quarantine, or those who tested positive, and then tracking those who have also been in contact with them. That moment evokes affective feelings of nostalgia for effective government policies, such as the formalization and digitization of the economy. It really would have streamlined the improved contact tracing process and effectively supported efforts to fight this deadly virus, one that we have not experienced or seen in our country’s history. Using drones to deliver test samples to test facilities has been a great idea, one that perhaps very few countries in the world have been able to do.
While the government and healthcare professionals do their utmost to reduce the spread and subsequent impact of COVID 19 on our livelihoods, citizens must also do their part. They must follow the guidelines and adhere to the measures in place to help stop the rapid spread of the virus. Washing hands with soap, using alcohol-based disinfectants, and wearing a mask has become part of our daily lives. One that will reduce infections and allow a certain level of new normality.
People, regardless of their beliefs and values, must be prepared to change their behavior. They must be educated to understand that this virus is deadly and has infected more than 4,000,000 people worldwide, with more than 270,000 deaths. At its peak, more than 900 people died in a single day, and there have also been mass burials in some countries. This should be enough to change our individual perception of the risk of acquiring this deadly virus. Community mobilization and organizational change will go a long way in supporting our enhanced contact career strategy and reducing the impact of the deadly crown virus COVID-19.
God bless Ghana
Long live the Ghana Health Service!
God bless Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Kwaku Bimpeh
NPP UK Deputy Director of Communications
[email protected]
