[ 2014-10-19 ]

Prof Kwadwo Koram

Ebola scare: Don’t host AFCON 2015 – Director of Noguchi warns Ghana
The Director of Noguchi Memorial Institute for
Medical Research (NMIMR), Prof. Kwadwo A. Koram
has cautioned Ghana against entertaining the idea
of hosting the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON
2015) as the Ebola death toll rises.

With the deadly virus spreading like a wild fire
in some West African countries, the initial host
country, Morocco has notified the continental
football body, CAF, that it can only host the
tournament if it is postponed.

According to the World Health Organisation, about
4,500 persons have died from the Ebola virus in
Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The
disease infects humans through close contact with
infected persons, animals, including chimpanzees,
fruit bats and forest antelope.

Meanwhile, another possible host nation, South
Africa has outright rejected the offer.

But Ghana, which is bidding to organize the
tournament in 2017 is precariously considering
hosting the orphan tournament in 2015.

Youth and Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga stated
that Ghana is ready to host the African Cup of
Nations in January 2015, despite the threat of
Ebola.

But Prof. Kwadwo A. Koram, a renowned
epidemiologist and current Director of the NMIMR,
told Joy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile,
the country is not prepared for any Ebola
outbreak.

He advised the country to be careful in
considering CAF’s proposal to host it because of
the deadly nature of the virus that kills seven
out of 10 victims.

“From what I have seen in the country now, I
will say no,” Prof. Koram emphasized.

His concern is grounded in the fact that the
country would not have the capacity to conduct
contact tracing of the thousands of football fans
who will be cutting across the country.

He addressed the perceived simplicity of
conducting contact tracing in the country.

“Each stadium is holds, 20,000, 40,000 people.
If you have even one case coming up from the
stadia, you’re completely at a loss to try and
locate all those who had contact with the
victim.”

He was certain the already overstretched health
facilities in the country would be overwhelmed
should there be an outbreak of the virus in
Ghana.

Making reference to the situation in Nigeria, he
explained that, “They had to do more than 20,000
contact tracings on a single case before they were
able to contain the situation.”

He stressed that that single case was in a
hospital and the situation would be even more dire
in a location as large as a stadium.

In his view postponing the tournament as suggested
by Morocco is a step in the right direction
because it will give health personnel the space to
improve their understanding of the Ebola virus,
even though nobody can tell when the battle would
be won.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has also
indicated that the country is not prepared to
confront the virus and warned against the hosting
of the tournament.

Meanwhile, some individuals and organization have
been prevailing upon CAF to postpone the AFCON
2015.

Source - Joy News

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