Effective Implementation of Public Health and Social Measures in Ghana: Situational Analysis

Public health and social measures should respond to data about the growth of the epidemic and be implemented in a way that engages communities. Communities should be involved in helping to determine strategies for adapting measures to the local context, protecting livelihoods, and introducing appropriate relief measures to counteract the economic impact of these measures. The government should counter misinformation with appropriate risk communication and engage with communities to ensure voluntary adherence to COVID-19 response measures.

• Ghana has one of the highest caseloads in the region. Lab testing performance is stronger than in other African Union Member States, although reporting of new cases has been variable. The case fatality rate is low at under 1%, indicating relatively good surveillance.
• Ghana is one of the few AU Member States which has lifted its lockdown (in Accra and Kumasi). Other measures including physical distancing measures are still in place, and wearing masks is compulsory in all public spaces. The impact of lifting the lockdown on the caseload is still unknown, but the effects will likely be felt within the next two weeks and changes in epidemiological data should be monitored closely.
• Population mobility declined following school closures and the cancellation of public events, which were implemented early in the outbreak, and fell further with the lockdown. This decrease early in the outbreak potentially reduced community transmission.
• Urban Ghanaians have universal awareness of COVID-19 but continue to hold some misperceptions, and fewer than half recognize their own risk of catching the disease. Significant misinformation persists, some of which may provide a misplaced sense of protection or contribute to stigma that could lead to violence or prevent people from accessing needed care.
• Confidence in the government’s response is higher than in other AU Member States, and most Ghanaians believe that immediate help would be available if they became ill.
• Support for PHSMs is high, despite the burdens these will place on households including shortages of food and money