Ebola Outbreak: Ghana Tightens Airport Screening for Travellers from Kenya

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Ghana has activated heightened Ebola preparedness measures following confirmed cases of the disease in Kenya and Nigeria, with the Ministry of Health citing direct flight links and high passenger volumes as key risk factors.

Ghana has enhanced surveillance at its entry points. Photo: Ghana Airports Company Ltd. Source: FacebookKenya reported its first imported Ebola case on October 6, 2026, caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

By October 22, 2026, eight additional cases had been confirmed, all traceable to the initial patient and including infections among healthcare workers.

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Nigeria recorded a separate confirmed case in its Federal Capital Territory on October 20, 2026.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said in a statement that Ghana remains Ebola-free but that the Kenyan situation in particular presents a meaningful risk, given the volume of direct flights operating between the two countries.

The confirmed Nigerian case adds a further layer of concern due to the frequency of travel between Ghana and Nigeria.

In response, the Ghana Health Service has engaged the Ghana Airports Company Limited and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to coordinate preparedness efforts.

Screening at points of entry has been intensified, and simulation exercises have been conducted at the Accra International Airport and the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre to test response readiness.

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Travellers arriving from high-risk areas are subject to health monitoring for 21 days in line with standard public health protocols.

Healthcare workers have also been sensitised to recognise and appropriately manage suspected cases, and laboratory preparedness has been updated, including revisions to Standard Operating Procedures.

Ebola symptoms typically appear between 2 and 21 days after exposure, with an average onset of 8 to 10 days. Early signs include high-grade fever, severe headache, extreme fatigue, sore throat and chills, with unexplained bleeding and confusion occurring at later stages.

It is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, or through contaminated materials, and is not spread through the air.

Anyone who develops these symptoms after travelling to an affected country, or after contact with a suspected or confirmed case, is advised to seek medical attention immediately and to inform health workers of their travel history.

The public has also been urged to practise good hand hygiene, avoid contact with individuals showing unexplained fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding, and to rely solely on official communication channels for health updates.

Japhet Ruto (Current Affairs and Business Editor) Japhet Ruto, an award-winning journalist, is a Business & Tech Editor at TUKO.co.ke (joined in 2019). Ruto has over nine years’ experience and graduated from Moi University in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Journalism. He won the 2019 BAKE Awards’ Agriculture Blog of the Year. . Best CA editor 2019-2022. Best TUKO business editor 2023-2026. Attended the 2026 immersion training on customs and trade facilitation for digital and mainstream media. Email: japhet.ruto@tuko.co.ke.