Ghana: Innovative Approaches to Strengthen Regional Health Emergency Preparedness

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with UNICEF, WFP, MSF, and the Ghana Armed Forces, will conduct a large-scale simulation exercise in Ghana from November 11–15, 2024. This initiative aims to enhance regional preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, particularly high-risk diseases like Ebola and Marburg, through deploying innovative solutions, including Infectious Disease Treatment Modules (IDTM) and Health Emergency Facility (HEF) kits. These tools facilitate rapid deployment in crisis-affected areas, minimizing infection spread by promoting containment at the source. The exercise, part of the INITIATE2 project, integrates cutting-edge research and training to advance emergency response capabilities, leveraging expertise from over 20 partner organizations and health authorities from six African countries. It will simulate a Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) outbreak to evaluate operational readiness, patient care protocols, and multi-stakeholder coordination. This initiative underscores the global commitment to scalable, rapid-response health infrastructure to mitigate public health emergencies and prevent pandemics.