Ghana launches new public health emergency framework

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched a new Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) framework to enhance the nation’s preparedness for disease outbreaks and other public health crises. The initiative aims to centralize institutions, technical expertise, information, and resources to facilitate a more rapid and coordinated response during emergencies.

GHS Director-General Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea stated that the PHEOC serves as a platform for coordinated action rather than a replacement for the statutory mandates of existing institutions. The framework includes five key strategic and operational documents: the National PHEOC Strategic Plan 2026–2030, the National PHEOC Handbook 2026, the National PHEOC Standard Operating Procedures (Volume One), the National Health Workforce Surge Strategic Plan 2026, and the National Public Health Workforce Surge Management Standard Operating Procedures (Volume Two).

The framework is intended to help Ghana meet its obligations under the International Health Regulations 2005 and address weaknesses identified through the Joint External Evaluation. Professor Akoriyea noted that lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the necessity of establishing emergency systems before a threat develops.