WHO donates 205 laptops to boost Ghana's health surveillance

The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa has provided Ghana with a batch of 205 laptop computers—200 standard‑specification units and five high‑performance machines—valued at over GHS 3 million. The equipment was handed to the Ghana Health Service under the Pandemic Fund Project to modernise disease surveillance, enable real‑time data collection and improve emergency response across district hospitals, regional health directorates and surveillance units.

The laptops will run WHO’s Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) software, allowing health workers to input, analyse and share outbreak information more quickly. Officials said the donation strengthens electronic reporting, supports data‑driven decision‑making and enhances Ghana’s capacity to detect and respond to threats such as malaria, Lassa fever and COVID‑19. WHO Ghana Country Representative Dr Fiona Braka highlighted that “strong surveillance systems are the foundation of effective outbreak prevention and response,” while Ghana Health Service Deputy Director‑General Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah praised the partnership for improving timely public‑health action.