CDC in Ghana

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has partnered with Ghana since 2007. CDC provides technical assistance to the Government of Ghana (GoG) to support HIV/AIDS prevention and control through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). CDC also works with Ghana to strengthen laboratory, surveillance, and workforce capacities to respond to disease outbreaks in support of the Global Health Security Agenda; implement malaria interventions under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI); and build surveillance and laboratory capacity for influenza.

Download Ghana Fact Sheet [PDF – 734 KB]

CDC Impact in Ghana

HIV

As a key implementer of PEPFAR, CDC works with Ghana to build a sustainable, high-impact national HIV program to accelerate progress toward UNAIDS global goals to control the HIV epidemic. CDC’s partnership with the Government of Ghana began in 2008 with the goal of strengthening HIV prevention and treatment. Over the past 14 years, CDC’s public health response matured from an emergency approach to a focus on sustaining the progress achieved through PEPFAR. CDC Ghana evolved from an HIV prevention program to a critical public health partner that supports Ghana’s national and regional laboratory and strategic information capabilities. Through PEPFAR, CDC is the lead U.S. Government agency for technical laboratory assistance in Ghana. CDC strives to enhance laboratorians’ skills and increase efficiency of laboratory services related to quality management systems and diagnostic network optimization. Since Ghana is the hub of PEPFAR’s West Africa Region unit, CDC Ghana also provides technical laboratory and strategic information support to partners in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone.

CDC leads strategic information activities, including efforts to improve data collection and analysis across the HIV cascade (testing, treatment, and viral load suppression) to inform decision-making. CDC also helps generate national and sub-national estimates of people living with HIV and develops tools and collects data for key populations, including female sex workers and men who have sex with men.

COVID-19

The first case of COVID-19 in Ghana was confirmed on March 12, 2020. Since the pandemic was declared, CDC has supported the development and implementation of national COVID-19 response and vaccine deployment plans. Previous collaborations between CDC and MOH to expand national and subnational laboratory capacity and community-based surveillance were critical to the country’s COVID-19 response. Field Epidemiology Training Program residents and graduates were also instrumental to the country’s COVID-19 response as they led several response activities and supported the Ghana Health Service in all 16 regions in the country.

Global Health Security

CDC’s global health security efforts in Ghana help strengthen the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks before they become epidemics that could affect global populations. These efforts help Ghana reach the goals outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda; a global partnership launched in 2014 to help protect the world from infectious disease threats. CDC works with the MOH and other partners to provide expertise and assistance across the 11 global health security technical areas. These technical focus areas help Ghana build core public health capacities in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, emergency management, and other critical areas.

Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP)

CDC supports Ghana to strengthen the workforce’s abilities to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks through the FELTP. The FELTP trains a workforce of epidemiologists to identify and contain outbreaks before they become epidemics, gather critical data, and translate data into evidence-based action. In recognition that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment, the Ghana FELTP enrolls physicians, laboratory scientists, veterinarians, and Food and Drug Authority officials. Ghana has trained over 400 FELTP participants who have conducted more than 100 outbreak investigations, including meningitis, cholera, yellow fever, influenza, measles, rubella, and anthrax.

Malaria

Malaria is endemic and perennial (constantly present) in all parts of Ghana, with seasonal variations more pronounced in the north. Under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), CDC assigned a resident advisor to support implementation of malaria prevention and control activities in Ghana. Key activities include: providing long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying, preventing malaria in pregnancy, and improving diagnostics and case management.

In partnership with PMI, Ghana has made significant progress against malaria: child death rates have fallen and life-saving tools, such as bed nets and preventive treatment for pregnant women, are reaching more people. Ghana also uses an updated electronic District Health Information Management System, which improves malaria data quality, timely reporting, and completeness. Laboratory confirmation has also improved significantly with 97 percent of malaria outpatient cases confirmed in 2021.

Influenza

CDC works with partners in Ghana to help strengthen influenza surveillance and laboratory capacity to prevent, detect, respond, and prepare for influenza threats. Since 2007, CDC has partnered with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), the Ghana Health Service/MOH, and the US Naval Medical Research Unit 3. CDC uses the established influenza surveillance system to support inpatient and outpatient respiratory disease surveillance in the greater Accra area. This surveillance system is also used to conduct studies on influenza infection among HIV-infected adults and the impact of influenza on pregnancy. Ghana is a regional hub for West Africa. CDC supports the NMIMR to provide trainings, technical assistance visits, and emergency supplies to increase neighboring countries’ capacity to respond to influenza.