Accra – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with funding from the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Border Management Agencies (BMAs) at the Paga, Elubo, and Aflao borders respectively.

The PPE donated is to ensure the safety and protection of officials of BMAs and persons crossing the borders from COVID-19 and its spread. The donated items included: face masks, hand sanitizer refill gallons, automated sanitizer dispensers with stands, detergents, anti-bacterial solutions, disposable aprons, gloves, goggles, full PPE dress-ups, biohazard bags, infrared thermometer guns, tissue paper rolls, disinfectant bins of different sizes, among others. "Ghana needs to ensure that effective border management practices are implemented at all the Points of Entry (POE) in a coordinated manner to ensure that all border users including the BMAs, border residents and truck drivers do not pose any public health risks" said Kojo Wilmot, Immigration and Border Management (IBM) Officer, IOM Ghana.

At the borders where the donation took place, the handing over was done in the presence of all representatives from the BMAs, including Ghana Health Service (Port Health), the Ghana Revenue Authority- Customs Division, and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). “This support comes as no surprise because IOM has always been supportive over the years to ensure effective management of the country’s borders. We assure you that the purpose for the donation will be adhered to, and soon COVID 19 will be a thing of the past” said Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Emmanuel Laryea Kwei, Paga. This donation forms part of the "Enhancing Border Management Capacity for Responding to Public Health Crisis Including COVID-19" project, which is currently being implemented in five West African countries – Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.

“We commend JICA for funding the project, and we assure the donor that the items donated would be utilized well" said A.C.I. Joshua Krakue, upon receiving the items on behalf of the head of the Border Security Committee at the Elubo border. The project is designed to strengthen the border management capacities of the project countries to better prepare for and respond to the pandemic's current challenges and respond to future potential public health emergencies.

The Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Charles Agbeke, at the Aflao border mentioned that: “The donated items will be distributed fairly to the BMAs at Aflao to ensure effective border management”. The JICA funded project will also support the borders in installing prefabricated isolation structures with solar power supply, Water Sanitization and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, and acquiring an ambulance to help in the effective management of the borders.

For more information, please contact Nnamdi Iwuora, Programme Manager, Immigration and Border Management (IBM), IOM Ghana, at niwuora@iom.int or +233 30 274 2930