Ghana is currently one of the countries in sub Saharan Africa that is yet to implement the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR).
The International Health Regulations recommend routine and emergency measures at designated points of entry in WHO member countries, particularly, airports, ports, ground crossings and other points of entry. The objective is to prevent bio hazardous infectious diseases.
Ghana, alongside other World Health Organisation member countries, enacted the International Health Regulations on June 15th 2007. Through the Public Health Act of 2012, Act 851, Ghana incorporated the regulations into her local laws, making its implementation mandatory. Five years later, the country has yet to effect the implementation of the provisions of the International Health Regulations.
This is typical of Ghana. We are quick to enact and slow to implement. As of 16th April 2013, 196 States became parties to the International Health Regulations (2005).Pursuant to Article 22 of the Constitution of the World Health Organization and Articles 59 and 64 of the IHR (2005), the Regulations entered into force on 15 June 2007 for the 191 States that did not make reservations to them, Ghana inclusive.
Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851)
The Public Health Act of 2012, Act 851 provides explicit guidance and directions on how the Ghana Health Service should go about the monitoring and surveillance of diseases at the various points of entry and to ensure the prevention of bio hazardous infectious diseases.
It requires the decontamination and/or treatment of baggage, cargo, containers, conveyances, goods, postal packages among others when appropriate, at locations specially designated and equipped for that purpose.
It also encourages the application of entry or exit controls for arriving and departing travellers as well as the provision of access to specially designated equipment and the training of personnel with appropriate personal protection for the transfer of travellers who may carry infection or contamination.
The Act also reinforces the fact that each WHO member state shall send to the WHO, a list of ports authorised to offer the issuance of ship sanitation control certificates, the issuance of ship sanitation control exemption certificates as well as the extension of the ship sanitation control exemption certificate for a period of one month until the arrival of the ship in the port at which the certificate may be received.
It is emphatic on the fact that the country cannot live in isolation and will automatically have to institute measures that will enable collaboration with other countries, particularly those that it shares borders with, in the handling of disease outbreaks.
Benefits of implementing the International Health Regulations
Ghana stands to benefit tremendously from the implementation of the International Health Regulations. The benefits include early recognition of emerging pest and disease threats, detectionof exposure pathways, integrated responses to threats, rationalisation of controls, improved emergency preparedness and response and ensuring efficient and effective use of available resources.
It also gives the country the opportunity to be identified as a compliant member state of good standing of the World Health Organisation and also an enforcer of the International Health Regulations.Ghanaian importers and exporters can also capitalise on the disinfection of imports and exports as a marketing strategy since there will be that extra assurance of safety and security.
The icing on the cake will be Ghana becoming the first in the West African sub region to implement the International Health Regulations.
Implications for not implementing the International Health Regulations
The cost and implications of not implementing the International Health Regulations can be disastrous and catastrophic. This is because it opens the country up for pandemics and bio hazardous infectiousdiseases.
For example, it is estimated that the country spent in excess of 4 million dollars putting in place measures to deal with the Ebola virus. Ghana would have saved this money had the disinfection system been in place.
Again, the United Nations Development Group estimates that West Africa alone may have lost at least some 3.6 billion dollars between 2014 and 2017due to a decrease in trade, reduced foreign direct investment and tourism activity, border closures and flight cancellations, due to uncertainty of safety and security.
