From From 8 to 11 July 2024, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), with funding from The Global Fund, hosted a Trainer of Trainers (ToT) workshop on event-based surveillance (EBS) in Accra. This critical workshop brought together dedicated staff from national and regional levels to equip them with the necessary knowledge and facilitation skills needed to promote EBS implementation across all districts and train staff at district level.
Six regions—North, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West and Oti—were represented, along with staff from the Disease Surveillance Department (DSD), the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), the Public Relations Unit (PRU), the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL). The training also incorporated a One Health approach, involving officers from the Veterinary Service Department (VSD) and Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) from the listed areas.
Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of the Department of Public Health, expressed his gratitude to the team for their dedication to this extensive training. He highlighted the critical role of EBS in strengthening Ghana’s public health surveillance and urged the regional groups to adopt the principles taught with an open mind. Dr Asiedu-Bekoe emphasized that successful training at the district level would ensure effective implementation of EBS.
The opening round of ToT was hosted in Elmina and featured teams from five regions. The final ToT session is scheduled to take place in Kumasi during the second week of July, with participants from Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and North West regions expected to attend.
Source: Public Relations Unit, GES