… This process produces dioxins and furans toxic by-products classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the World Health Organization (WHO). …
… The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the outbreak had a “big head start” but response teams are now “catching up”. …
… He recalled milestones including the development of regulatory guidelines and inspection checklists in 2015, and benchmarking exercises by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Blood Regulators Network in 2016. …
… His comments came as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited the eastern Congolese province of Ituri – the worst-hit area – to oversee virus containment efforts. …
… Burning just one kilogramme of crop residue produces smoke levels more than 100 times higher than the safety threshold set by the World Health Organization, according to a forthcoming study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, causing a range of illnesses and de …
… The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Fiona Braka, also commended Ghana’s preparedness efforts, describing the country’s surveillance and laboratory systems as strong. …
Attacks on Ebola health facilities are intensifying in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the World Health Organization warns the outbreak could worsen in the DRC and Uganda On Thursday, the Rwampara health centre was stormed by a group of angry residents deman …
The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has begun a mass drug administration campaign to eliminate river blindness and bilharziasis across nine endemic districts in the region. The campaign, scheduled for June 20 to July 3rd, 2026, aims to interrupt transmission of these neglected tropical diseases in communities near rivers and water bodies.
Why it matters
Ashanti Health Directorate launches mass drug campaign against river blindness and bilharziasis across nine endemic districts in the region.
The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has begun a mass drug administration campaign to eliminate river blindness and bilharziasis across nine endemic districts in the region. The campaign, scheduled for June 20 to July 3rd, 2026, aims to interrupt transmission of these neglected tropical diseases in communities near rivers and water bodies.
The Ghana Health Service will conduct a Mass Drug Administration campaign from June 20 to July 3, 2026, providing free preventive treatment for onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis to nearly eight million people across the country. The campaign targets 86 onchocerciasis-endemic districts in 15 regions, about 266,000 people in two elephantiasis-endemic districts, and 13 districts across eight regions for schistosomiasis, as part of Ghana's strategy to eliminate these diseases by 2030.
Children vaccinated against HPV at ages 12–13 have close to zero risk of cervical cancer death before age 30, according to landmark research. Between 2020 and 2024, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged 20 to 24 in England — the first five-year period with zero deaths — compared to an expected 23 without vaccination.
On the twentieth anniversary of Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006, an article reflects on how persons with disability continue to face daily barriers in accessing basic services and navigating public spaces designed without their needs in mind.
The Ghana Health Service will conduct a Mass Drug Administration campaign from June 20 to July 10 across districts affected by Bilharzia, Elephantiasis, and River Blindness, as part of efforts to eliminate these neglected tropical diseases by 2030. The Director-General emphasized that medical interventions alone are insufficient and that a one-health approach addressing sanitation, water, and environmental issues is essential to prevent the diseases' spread.
A study of 2.6 million schools across 17 countries found that 1,094 Ghanaian schools (4.8% of mapped schools) are within one kilometre of documented contaminated sites, with around 400,000 children attending them. Greater Accra is particularly affected, with 67.6% of schools within five kilometres of contaminated sites.
The Environmental Protection Authority has reiterated that open burning of waste is illegal across Ghana and warned that offenders face fines, prosecution and possible custodial sentences under existing environmental and sanitation laws. The EPA says enforcement power rests with environmental health officers, though effective enforcement depends partly on inconsistent public reporting.
South Africa's justice minister has warned that a surge in attacks on foreign nationals is damaging the country's global image and affecting South African artists and businesses abroad. The violence has prompted several African countries, including Ghana, Malawi, and Mozambique, to repatriate their nationals over safety concerns.
Health workers and staff at Peace and Love Hospital in the Ashanti region received training from the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security on interpreting weather forecasts from the Ghana Meteorological Agency and applying weather information to improve patient care, staff safety and emergency preparedness, as extreme weather events pose growing risks to health systems.
Health workers in a displacement camp in Congo that recorded Ebola deaths have been forced away by locals who deny the deaths were from Ebola, hampering contact tracing efforts. The standoff affects efforts to contain the virus in 22 displaced persons sites in the health zone with around 81,124 residents, where several treatment sites have been attacked by locals skeptical of Ebola precautions.
An opinion piece examines the Health Minister's two-week suspension of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital CEO pending investigations into denial of emergency admissions, framing it as a case study in leadership accountability and institutional governance within Ghana's healthcare system.
Ghana will observe World Blood Donor Day on Friday, June 12, 2026 with a national event honouring voluntary blood donors under the theme "One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood, Save Lives," organized two days early by the National Blood Service Ghana because the official day falls on a Sunday.
Ghana's government has activated surveillance and isolation systems at major border entry points following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Deputy Minister of Health assessing preparedness at the country's two busiest border crossings.
An investigation of a community area where battery recycling, automotive repair, and scrap metal operations operate alongside homes and food vendors reveals significant lead exposure risks. Workers handle hazardous materials with little to no protective equipment, despite public health experts and the World Health Organisation identifying battery dismantling and informal recycling as major sources of lead exposure that can damage the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and heart.
Ghana's Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said building and retaining a resilient, motivated and equitably distributed health workforce is crucial to achieving Universal Health Coverage and sustaining recent gains in healthcare access and service delivery. He emphasised that health workers are the backbone of healthcare delivery and that workforce development must remain central to health sector reforms.
The Trump administration has urged European nations to impose travel restrictions on people who have recently been in Central African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, citing concerns about virus spread during the World Cup. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already barred noncitizens who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days from entering the U.S.
Ghana's health workforce has more than tripled in recent years, with health worker density improving from 16.5 to 41.9 per 10,000 population and doctors, nurses and midwives reaching 82.75 per 10,000—above WHO benchmarks. However, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh acknowledged persistent inequalities, with most health personnel concentrated in urban centres like Greater Accra and Ashanti, while migration pressures continue to threaten retention.
Ghana has activated surveillance and isolation systems at key border posts to detect and isolate suspected Ebola cases, following a Deputy Minister of Health's assessment tour of the Elubo and Aflao borders in response to the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ghana has activated surveillance and isolation systems at border posts including Elubo and Aflao to detect and prevent the spread of Ebola virus disease, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Deputy Minister of Health pledged swift government action to address identified gaps and strengthen response mechanisms at the direction of President John Mahama.
A 34-year-old former child soldier in Mogadishu, Somalia, continues to battle psychological trauma from his involvement in the Islamist insurgency that erupted nearly 20 years ago, while the city has limited resources devoted to supporting those suffering from conflict-related mental health issues.
Joy Online examines potential health risks from chemicals in sanitary pads used across Ghana, highlighting that while access campaigns focus on distribution, the safety and composition of products remain underexplored. The article identifies bleaching processes and other manufacturing practices that may introduce endocrine disruptors and other harmful substances into pads worn against sensitive skin.
Democratic Republic of Congo authorities reported around 380 confirmed Ebola cases and 60 deaths, down from over 1,000 suspected cases, but the reduction reflects improved data through lab testing rather than a decrease in danger. Key challenges remain, including that only about 45% of contacts with Ebola patients are being traced—below the 90% needed for control—and mistrust in affected communities.
The Food and Drugs Authority has expressed concern over regulatory non-compliance in blood banking facilities, disclosing that out of 112 blood banking facilities audited, only 12 have attained the compliance level required for licensing. The FDA, which has been conducting blood regulation activities since 2014, cited logistical and financial constraints as factors affecting recent audits.
Susan Temley Akortia, Adaklu District Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, has stated that the best interest and safety of children must always be the primary consideration in every decision-making process. According to a 2024 UNICEF/WHO survey cited by Akortia, one in five girls experienced sexual violence before age 18, while one in seven boys suffered similar abuse.
Médecins Sans Frontières warns that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "deeply alarming," with MSF deputy director Dr Alan Gonzales stating that never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after declaration. The outbreak has produced over 1,000 suspected cases and at least 246 deaths in DR Congo, with Uganda reporting nine confirmed cases and one death.
Experts warn that widespread crop-waste and slash-and-burn farming practices across Ghana are fueling public health and environmental crises. A study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research found that burning one kilogramme of crop residue produces smoke levels over 100 times higher than WHO safety thresholds, causing illness, deaths, and climate damage.
Ghana's Health Minister has directed that all mass gatherings must have hand-washing facilities as part of strengthening the country's preparedness against Ebola, following inspection tours of key national response facilities. Although Ghana has recorded no confirmed Ebola cases, the Minister emphasised the need for vigilance and ordered enhancements to screening procedures at entry points, including deployment of advanced temperature scanners.
A Kenyan court has halted US plans to open a 50-bed Ebola isolation centre for American citizens in Kenya, which a rights group warned posed grave and imminent public health risks. The facility was set to open on Friday and be staffed by US medics, but a High Court judge barred its operation until the case is heard.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has banned the open display of salt on dining tables in eateries, citing a study of 156 food service establishments in which 62% openly displayed salt—a practice believed to encourage excessive salt consumption. The WHO recommends adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt daily, though many people consume roughly double that amount.
Attacks on Ebola health centres are intensifying in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with residents storming facilities and setting tents on fire as the WHO warns the outbreak could worsen in the DRC and Uganda. Health workers face community resistance over strict burial protocols required to prevent virus transmission.