Ghana has enhanced its preparedness for future disease outbreaks after taking part in Exercise Polaris II, a global pandemic simulation involving 26 countries across all six regions of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The large-scale exercise, organised under the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC), was designed to evaluate how effectively national and international health systems can detect, assess and respond to emerging public health threats. It provided participating countries with a realistic emergency scenario to test their coordination mechanisms, decision-making processes and response capabilities.
Over two days, about 30 public health experts from Ghanaian government agencies and partner organisations worked through a simulated pandemic under the supervision of an Incident Manager. Participants were required to respond to rapidly changing scenarios that tested the country’s emergency response structures and inter-agency collaboration.
The exercise assessed critical components of emergency preparedness, including disease detection, risk assessment, incident management, workforce readiness, leadership, risk communication, information sharing and international coordination.
It also offered Ghana an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of its existing health emergency systems, identify operational strengths and pinpoint areas requiring improvement. A post-exercise “hotwash” session enabled participants to review their performance and document lessons for future responses.
Director of Public Health, Dr. Asiedu Bekoe, expressed optimism about Ghana’s level of preparedness following the simulation.
“With this enthusiasm and the outcome of the exercise, I am convinced that Ghana is ready to respond should any outbreak occur,” he said.
Participants described the exercise as highly beneficial, noting that it strengthened their practical skills in managing complex public health emergencies while reinforcing the importance of collaboration among institutions.
Feedback from countries that took part highlighted the critical role of rapid information exchange, decisive leadership and adequate surge capacity in managing health crises. For the WHO African Region, the simulation also emphasised the need for stronger coordination mechanisms and faster decision-making during emergencies.
According to a report distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Ghana, Ghana’s participation in Exercise Polaris II demonstrates its commitment to strengthening national health security. The simulation provided valuable insights that will help improve emergency preparedness, build resilience and better protect communities against future outbreaks and pandemics.
