The Savannah Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has inaugurated a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in Damongo to strengthen the region’s preparedness, surveillance and response to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The facility, inaugurated on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, is expected to serve as the nerve centre for coordinating public health emergency operations, managing and analysing health information, facilitating communication and supporting rapid decision-making during emergencies.
The establishment of the centre was supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), in collaboration with the Government of Ghana and other stakeholders.
Speaking to the media after the inauguration, the Savannah Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. John Ekow Otoo, said the operationalisation of the centre had placed the region in a stronger position to detect and respond to public health threats before they developed into major emergencies.
He described the PHEOC as the “nerve centre” for managing public health emergencies in the region, explaining that technical officers would work around the clock to monitor data generated from health facilities and communities.
According to him, the continuous analysis of such data would enable health authorities to identify unusual trends and warning signs early enough to trigger appropriate interventions.
“Before we can respond, we need to be able to detect it,” Dr. Otoo said, stressing the importance of early warning and rapid response in preventing avoidable morbidity and mortality.
He said the centre would operate under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Public Health, who reports to the Regional Director of Health Services, with information ultimately feeding into the national health emergency response structure.
Dr. Otoo also assured the public that information collected and processed at the centre would be protected in accordance with Ghana’s data protection laws.
He explained that raw data would not be made readily available to the general public but would be accessible to authorised technical officers with the expertise to analyse and interpret it.
Once analysed, the information would be transmitted to policymakers and relevant authorities to support critical decisions aimed at protecting lives.
The Regional Director said the PHEOC would not be exclusively for the Ghana Health Service but would bring together key institutions under the One Health approach.
He explained that public health emergencies could originate not only from diseases affecting humans but also from animals and environmental conditions.
Veterinary services, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), security agencies and other relevant stakeholders would therefore collaborate through the centre.
The approach, he said, would enable stakeholders to share data, information and resources and jointly plan and respond to emergencies.
“It’s not just for Ghana Health Service even though Ghana Health Service will directly manage it. It is for veterinary service, it is for NADMO, it is for EPA, it is for all other stakeholders who are part of the One Health agenda,” Dr. Otoo said.
He disclosed that trained technical officers and an Emergency Operations Centre manager would be responsible for the day-to-day running of the facility, with technical staff monitoring priority diseases and analysing information on a 24-hour basis.
The Deputy Country Director of KOICA Ghana, Ms. Boyeong Choe, described the inauguration as an important milestone not only for the Savannah Region but also for Ghana’s broader efforts to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response.
She said the establishment of the regional PHEOC would bring emergency response capacity closer to communities and enable faster and more coordinated action when emergencies occur.
Ms. Choe noted that the 2025 Joint External Evaluation had recognised the important role of national and regional PHEOCs in coordinating emergency preparedness and response, while identifying areas requiring further strengthening.
She said the facility represented an important investment in decentralised health security.
Under the Global Health Security Agenda Phase II Project, she said, the Republic of Korea, through KOICA, had continued to support Ghana in strengthening key areas of health security, including emergency preparedness and response, laboratory systems and workforce development.
Ms. Choe, however, cautioned that the value of the facility would not be measured by the infrastructure alone but by how effectively it was utilised.
She encouraged the Ghana Health Service and the Savannah Regional Health Directorate to keep the centre operational, continuously train staff and regularly test emergency response procedures through simulation exercises.
She reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to working with the Government of Ghana, the US CDC, GHS and other partners to strengthen Ghana’s health system and national health security architecture.
The Savannah Regional Minister, Hon. Salisu Yussif Biawurbi, said the inauguration marked the establishment of a system rather than merely the commissioning of a physical structure.
He described the PHEOC as a nerve centre for gathering relevant information, coordinating activities and distributing critical information on health emergencies within the Savannah Region, Ghana and beyond.
According to him, the facility was particularly important to the Savannah Region because of its large population, wildlife, livestock, environmental conditions and proximity to neighbouring countries.
He noted that the region hosts the Mole National Park, which attracts local and international visitors, while the movement of animals and people across borders with Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire could create pathways for the emergence and spread of public health threats.
The Regional Minister therefore called for heightened vigilance among health workers and other stakeholders to ensure that potential emergencies were detected, reported promptly and addressed appropriately.
He said the centre would help the region “connect the dots” and fulfil Ghana’s responsibility under the International Health Regulations to respond promptly to public health emergencies.
Hon. Biawurbi expressed appreciation to KOICA, the United States Government, the US CDC and AFENET for their financial, technical and capacity-building support towards the establishment of the facility.
He said the government remained committed to strengthening Ghana’s health sector through investments in healthcare infrastructure, surveillance and other interventions.
The inauguration brought together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service, the Country Director of the US CDC, the Director of AFENET Ghana, Prof. Ernest Kenu; the WHO Country Representative; representatives of the Savannah Regional Coordinating Council, traditional leaders, development partners and other stakeholders.
The operationalisation of the Savannah Regional PHEOC is expected to enhance early detection, information sharing, coordination and rapid response to public health emergencies, ultimately helping to reduce illness and deaths and protect communities across the region.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
