With great sadness we are announcing that the Ghana Health Team’s November 2014 mission to Northern Ghana has been postponed due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The decision to postpone was made by GRID’s Executive Director, Dr. David Mensah, in consultation with the leaders of the Ghana Health Team.
“Based on the information we have right now about the Ebola outbreak from a variety of sources, we are confident that it is the wisest and most responsible decision to make,” stated Dr. Jennifer Wilson, leader of the Ghana Health Team. She explained that the decision was made to protect both the team members and their potential patients. “We are concerned that our presence in Northern Ghana could actually contribute to the spread of Ebola. Due to our reputation, patients come to see us from all over Ghana. We are concerned that our team’s good name could attract sick patients with Ebola, who may then introduce it to the Carpenter region.”
All donations received for the 2014 Health Team will be used for a rescheduled mission, likely in November 2015. The team will continue to fundraise for that future mission, and is proceeding with hosting their Night in Northern Ghana event on September 20th. The matching grant from the Jericho and Makbraneth Foundations is still in effect, effectively doubling every donation.
On August 8, 2014, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the West African Ebola outbreak a global emergency. The current outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013, and is currently the largest outbreak ever. It is present in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Ghana is implementing emergency preparedness measures, including postponing all tertiary institutions for at least two weeks.
For more information, or to speak with a GRID representative, please contact us.