This was after undergoing an eight-week training in modern laboratory technology to enable them to detect disease outbreaks. 

It would also enable the diagnostic professionals to curtail and handle any future disease outbreaks and pandemics in their respective countries.

They formed the fifth batch of participants who have so far received the institute’s Third Country training course in enhancing laboratory skills for infectious diseases in West African countries.

It was organised with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ghana Office. 

Significance

The Director of the institute, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, said the training was crucial in meeting the global health agenda.

She, therefore, urged the graduates to let their work impact on the people in their respective countries.

A research fellow and Quality Manager at the Department of Parasitology at the institute, Dr Charles Quaye, said the areas for the training were chosen based on pertinent diseases in the West Africa region.

He said so far, the institute had trained about 70 people in high-earned diagnosis and had also embarked on field trips to participating countries to check on activities of trainees. 

Strengthening capacity

A senior representative of JICA Ghana, Oda Ryotaro, said it had become imperative to continuously strengthen the capacity of laboratory workforces across the West African sub-region to enhance responses to public health emergencies in view of recent outbreak of diseases.

He expressed the hope that the participants would share the knowledge and skills gained with their colleagues to enhance their countries’ response to public health emergencies.

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Lead Virologist at Noguchi Memorial Institute, Professor William Ampofo, says the outfit will collaborate with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to commence contact tracing in communities to detect the new Covid-19 variant.

Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, speaking at the launch of December as Covid-19 month, revealed that the new variant was detected at the country’s borders.

The virus was detected in persons travelling from Nigeria and South Africa into the country.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews, Professor Ampofo noted that the new variant has not yet been detected in communities.

He added that the Institute together with the GHS will continue to study the virus to detect its severity and behaviour.

“The Ghana Health Service has a contact tracing system in place so we will be working with them on this,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has activated its mandatory protocols to ensure the vaccination of more people against Covid-19 especially during the Christmas festivities.

According to the Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, vaccine certificates would be inspected to ensure compliance.

Ghana’s daily vaccination rate has shot up to about 142,000.

The Director-General of the GHS made this known on Sunday while addressing the press on the additional measures taken by the government to control the spread of Covid-19 ahead of the Christmas festivities.

This follows reports on social media alleging breaches of the Covid-19 testing protocols.

The Institute, in a statement issued by the Director of NMIMR, Professor Abraham Kwabena Anang, assured that the allegation was being treated with “grave seriousness”.

“The university has decided that a press release should be put on hold and investigations conducted over the weekend and a report presented to the University for Senior Management meeting on Monday morning 18th January 2021,” it said.

The statement said aside the Institute’s internal investigations, external investigations would be conducted by National Security, which was in discussion with the Coordinator of the National Network of Covid-19 testing Laboratories.

The Noguchi investigation team includes Prof. Collins Ahorlu, Dr Michael Ofori, Dr Mary Coleman, Dr Charles Quaye, and Dr Ivy Asantewa Asante, the statement said.

Its task, the statement said, includes to confirm the validity of the displayed positive Covid-19 test, to verify if there is any negative Covid-19 test result for the same person and interrogate staff who were on duty for any relevant information.

The rest are to evaluate the existing Covid-19 testing system from sample taking to the release of results, identify any other Covid-19 related issues and present report to the Director by 0800 hours. 

“To facilitate this process, all Virology staff and other staff on the Covid-19 testing teams are to report to the Institute by 0830 hours on Sunday, January 17th, 2021.

“Meanwhile, the investigative team may call any staff to hold interactions physically or virtually at any time,” it said.