Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has revealed that Ghana is aggressively tightening its border security as part of an emergency preparedness plan to counter a new, strain of the Ebola virus for which there is currently no vaccine or definitive cure.

Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, June 7, 2026, the minister emphasized that strict preventive measures and airtight border controls remain the nation's only viable defense against an outbreak.

To ensure the country's defenses are impenetrable, Akandoh announced that the rigorous health screening protocols currently being enforced at the nation’s international airports are being systematically replicated across all major land entry points.

Ghana strengthens Ebola preparedness as health ministry tightens border surveillance


Akandoh disclosed that he is personally auditing the ground operations and has dispatched his deputy minister on a nationwide tour to verify that border personnel are strictly enforcing the emergency health directives.

“All this briefing I had, I had to go there personally to check whether or not things are being implemented on the ground," Akandoh stated.

"So, my deputy will be travelling to some of these land borders to also see what we are doing there. We are replicating what we're doing at the airport at the land borders. So, as much as possible, we are making ourselves foolproof,” he stressed.

“The urgency behind the Ministry's swift border mobilization stems from the unique scientific challenges posed by this specific Ebola variant. Without the safety net of medical countermeasures like vaccines or targeted therapeutics, public health management must rely entirely on early detection and containment.

Akandoh urged Ghanaians and border officials to treat precautionary directives with the utmost seriousness, noting that catching a case at the point of entry is critical to preventing community transmission.

“The interesting aspect is that this particular Ebola, we do not have a vaccine for it. We don't have a specific cure for it," the health minister cautioned.

"So, our surest bet is to take the precautionary measures seriously and to watch our entry points. So that even if we test any of the cases, we'll be able to contain it,” he added.

The Ministry of Health is expected to provide subsequent updates on the state of border infrastructure and medical screening logistics as the monitoring exercises continue throughout the week.

VPO