Ghana has taken another significant step towards strengthening its preparedness for public health emergencies with the hosting of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) Development Workshop in Accra.
The three-day workshop, being organized by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) through its Public Health Division, in collaboration with development partners, is taking place from 13th to 15th January 2026. It brings together key stakeholders from across sectors to develop a coordinated, multisectoral, and sustainable framework to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to public health threats.
Welcoming participants on behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, noted that the workshop builds on the gains made through Ghana’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE). The JEE assessed the country’s capacity to manage public health threats, including infectious disease outbreaks, chemical incidents, and radiation emergencies.
Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe highlighted that since the 2017 JEE, Ghana has recorded notable progress in health security. These include the strengthening of disease surveillance systems, the improvement of rapid response teams, enhanced coordination under the One Health approach, regular emergency simulation exercises, and the establishment of subnational Emergency Operations Centres across the country.
He stressed that the development of a robust National Action Plan for Health Security is crucial to consolidating these gains and ensuring a resilient health system capable of responding swiftly to emerging and re-emerging public health threats.
Also addressing the workshop, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, Dr. Fiona Braka, reaffirmed that health security remains a top national priority. She described the workshop as a renewed demonstration of Ghana’s commitment to preparedness and response, emphasizing the importance of sustained, multisectoral collaboration in safeguarding public health.
Dr. Braka noted that the NAPHS will serve as a strategic roadmap to guide coordinated action among stakeholders and strengthen Ghana’s ability to protect lives and livelihoods during public health emergencies.
The workshop is expected to produce a comprehensive National Action Plan for Health Security that will guide Ghana’s health emergency preparedness and response efforts in the coming years.
