Ghana - A one-day workshop to encourage the sharing on health-related information between Togolese and Ghanaian health officials was held in Lome, Togo, on November 30, 2016. IOM Ghana—with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—conducted the workshop in an effort to strengthen border protection between the neighbouring countries of Ghana and Togo by reinforcing cross-border information flow and response collaboration.

The primary objective of the workshop was to encourage the sharing of health-related information between Togolese and Ghanaian border health officials to equip them with the necessary tools to handle emergency health crises. With the threat of imminent diseases surpassing national borders, it is in the best interest of neighboring countries to work together to implement a cooperative strategy that protects their citizens, while reducing the risk of an epidemic.

During discussions, Dr. Abass Ben Djobo—Regional Director of Health for Lome Commune and representative of the Togolese Ministry of Health—lauded IOM’s support to improve the cross-border collaboration.

“Diseases know no borders and thus, these meetings and collaborations are very vital to secure the health of populations. To be healthy, one must ensure that his neighbour is also healthy.”

Issues covered during the workshop included: ensuring contact information was updated to facilitate data-sharing; improving understanding of surveillance efforts and systems on both sides of the border; describing response efforts and strategies that would be used to guide later discussions on how Ghanaian and Togolese border officials should coordinate and collaborate in the event of a public health emergency; communicating best practices in both countries for the continuous improvement of surveillance systems; and discussing strategies to improve public health responses to cross-border challenges.

Regional health directors, disease control officers, as well as port health officials from seven different districts in Ghana and Togo—primarily from the Aflao and Akanu regions—were among the 30 workshop participants. After completing the workshop, Dr. Viviane Kpakpo-Adaba—Director for Health District number 4 (Kodjoviakope)—said she is more confident that her directorate will be better equipped to share updated and validated health data with the Ghanaian health authorities as a result of the strengthened collaboration.

By facilitating this workshop and other related activities, the Ghana Health Security Agenda (GHSA) hopes to facilitate the signing of an MOU between neighboring countries so they are able to regularize cross-border meetings and information-sharing sessions across the three major border posts of Aflao, Akanu and Paga.

The Ghana-Togo Cross-Border on Disease Surveillance and Response workshop falls under the framework of the GHSA project—a multi-country program present in Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone—which aims to improve global responses to disease outbreaks.

For more information please contact Papa Kwaw Mensah at IOM Ghana, Tel: +233 302 742 930, Email: pkmensah@iom.int