CDC in Ghana

Key accomplishments

• Supported the operationalization of the National Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) and four regional PHEOCs.
• Strengthened the influenza surveillance system to conduct inpatient and outpatient respiratory disease surveillance in 36 health facilities across the country. Through CDC’s support, each of Ghana’s 16 regions has at least one influenza sentinel surveillance site as of 2025.
• Trained over 400 Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program participants who have conducted more than 100 outbreak investigations.
• Implemented an innovative national system for transporting blood and specimen samples to centralized laboratories, ensuring timely identification of HIV cases. This system is now able to support other outbreaks and public health response activities.
• Created a national insecticide-resistance and entomological database to bolster malaria prevention and control activities.

Global health security

CDC’s global health security efforts in Ghana help strengthen the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. These efforts help Ghana reach the goals outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda. CDC works with the MOH and other partners to provide expertise and assistance across technical focus areas. These include disease surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, emergency management, and other critical areas.

Surveillance, laboratory, and public health emergency systems strengthening

CDC helps implement indicator- and event-based disease surveillance to strengthen early detection and reporting of priority diseases, conditions, and unusual health events. CDC supports improvements in laboratory quality and safety. CDC supported ISO 15189:2012 accreditation for the National Public Health and Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) and 9001:2015 for three zonal public health laboratories.

CDC and partners piloted an integrated specimen referral system in Northern and Greater Accra regions. This system reduced the turnaround time and release of results by 50% for many public health specimens.

CDC helped establish molecular testing laboratories for two zonal laboratories in the Northern and Western regions. In addition, CDC helped establish genomic sequencing laboratories at the NPHRL and the Genomic and Infectious Disease Laboratory which have been instrumental during responses to local outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2, cholera and monkeypox.

CDC supported the operationalization of the National Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) and four regional PHEOCs in the Northern, Ashanti, Western, and Volta regions. CDC has also supported training of four Ghana Health Service mid-level leaders in emergency management principles through the Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship Program. Since their training, they have managed national and regional responses to cholera, meningitis, and monkeypox. CDC supported establishment of the Tamale Infectious Disease Treatment Center at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern region.

Workforce development

CDC supports training scientists through the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). Established in 2008, this program trains epidemiologists to detect, prevent, and control diseases before they become epidemics. FELTP participants learn to gather critical data and turn it into evidence-based action.

HIV and TB

As a key implementer of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC plays an essential role in the fight against HIV and TB. With unmatched scientific and technical knowledge and long-standing relationships with ministries of health, CDC is uniquely positioned to advance HIV, TB, and other global health security activities that keep Americans safe at home and abroad.

Through PEPFAR, CDC provides critical support to Ghana's public health infrastructure, improving the country's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to HIV, TB, and other infectious diseases and minimizing their risk from entering the U.S.

Malaria

CDC has collaborated with partners to support implementation of malaria prevention and control activities in Ghana. CDC-supported activities have included providing technical input in:

• Distributing long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets.
• Providing indoor residual spraying.
• Preventing malaria in pregnancy.
• Improving diagnostics and case management.

Ghana has made significant progress against malaria. Child death rates have fallen and life-saving tools, such as bed nets and preventive treatment for pregnant women, are reaching more people. Ghana also uses an updated electronic District Health Information Management System, which improves malaria data quality, timely reporting, and completeness.

Influenza

CDC works with partners in Ghana to help strengthen influenza surveillance and laboratory capacity to prevent, detect, respond, and prepare for influenza threats.

Since 2007, CDC has partnered with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), the Ghana Health Service/MOH, and the US Naval Medical Research Unit 3 on influenza surveillance and laboratory activities in the country. CDC supports the influenza surveillance system to conduct inpatient and outpatient respiratory disease surveillance in 36 health facilities across the country. This surveillance system is used to monitor influenza and other respiratory infections among all age groups.

Ghana hosts the CDC Influenza Division regional hub for West Africa. From the West Africa regional hub, CDC supports the NMIMR by providing trainings, conducting technical assistance visits and providing emergency supplies to increase neighboring countries’ capacity to respond to influenza and other respiratory infections of public health importance.

Fact sheet

Ghana Fact Sheet

Download the U.S. CDC in Ghana fact sheet.

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Publications

Related links