Public Health Emergency Operations Centre training workshop

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in partnership with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), conducted a two-day workshop from July 21 – 22, 2025, aimed at strengthening Ghana’s public health emergency management and response system. Held at the Hephzibah Christian Centre in Aburi, the training brought together 28 public health officers across Ghana, to enhance their capacities in public health emergency preparedness, management and response and the effective operation of public health emergency operations centres (PHEOCs).

The activity was funded by the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA) with technical support from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). At the opening, all speakers from GHS, KOICA, US CDC and AFENET highlighted the critical role of PHEOCs in managing public health emergencies, stressing the importance of such training in a more agile and coordinated emergency response system in Ghana.

The technical sessions covered an overview of PHEOCs, PHEOC management, PHEOC preparedness, outbreak investigation and response, scientific communication in public health, situational reports, epidemiological bulletins, intra-action reviews, after-action reviews, and management of public health surveillance data. It is expected that the participants will use the skills acquired to enhance emergency preparedness and response in their respective regions.