Don�t Import Ebola Into Ghana - GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has reiterated its call on the government not to open its doors for the hosting of the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2015). Any such move, the association contended, would amount to importing the deadly Ebola disease into the country. The association gave the warning in a communiqu� issued and signed by Dr Kwabena Opoku-Adusei and Dr Frank Serebour, President and Secretary respectively of the Association, at the end of the 56th Annual General Meeting at Takoradi over the weekend. The GMA said the country lacks facilities to manage basic diseases and it would therefore be suicidal to manage an Ebola outbreak. "If as a country we cannot manage cholera, don�t import Ebola into the system,� the statement further added. It said the only Ebola Emergency Response Centre (EERC) to have so far been completed is in the Greater Accra Region; those in Kumasi and Tamale were still under construction. "As at now, we are not ready, and if we are not ready, why do you go and import it into the country. I mean CAN 2008." He said the obvious position of the association was an outright rejection of the proposal to host the AFCON tournament. The statement urged government and other stakeholders to continue with their educational drive on the disease to heighten and sustain public awareness. "The GMA is also stepping up its advocacy and training programmes to its members as well as other health workers. The Association would continue to support government to educate the people of Ghana on the deadly Ebola disease," the statement added. It will be recalled that Morocco on Saturday refused to host January's African Nations Cup soccer finals amid fears over the spread of the Ebola virus, throwing the 2015 tournament into jeopardy. The country, which had already said it wanted the 16-team event postponed, rejected an ultimatum set by the Confederation of African Football to confirm the hosting of the continental championship due to take place on January 17 to February 8. A statement from Morocco's sports ministry said: "The decision is dictated by health reasons because of the serious threat of Ebola and the risk of its spreading." A decision on the tournament will now be made next week when CAF has an executive committee meeting in Cairo.