Flora: A Guardian of Public Health and Unity in Northern Ghana’s Border Town of Paga

In the bustling border town of Paga, nestled in the northern part of Ghana on the border with Burkina Faso, one remarkable individual stands out as a beacon of health and community support, Flora Apam.

Flora serves as a public health officer at the Paga border with Port Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). She holds a master's degree in public health and is a mother of two. Flora is passionate about the well-being of her community. Her mission is to “ensure the health and well-being of those passing through the Point of Entry, safeguarding the border community, and tending to the health of border officers.”

Championing the health of migrants at the Paga border, Flora is always ready to welcome yet another busload of travellers; she performs their health checks with dedication etched in her every action. Flora actively fosters inter-agency and cross-border cooperation, believing this to be the key to addressing public health concerns effectively and efficiently.

“My responsibilities include the daily monitoring of sanitation conditions at the border, collaborating closely with local and central authorities in Ghana as well as with counterparts across the border in Burkina Faso. I do this to guarantee the health of both travellers and the local community.”

Flora's dedication to public health transcends mere duty; it is her calling. She seeks to make a significant impact wherever she is stationed. Together with her team of environmental health officers and community health nurses, she ensures that all public health and safety measures are strictly adhered to at the border, and that cross-border movements are safe. She utilizes community platforms to gather information and assess health conditions, a practice that informs her comprehensive reports.

“The path hasn't always been smooth, especially in times of crises, due to resource constraints. But we try our best.”

According to Flora, working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the interventions of the Immigration and Border Governance (IBG) program of IOM Ghana have been invaluable in boosting the operational capacities of the port health services in Paga.

“During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, IOM provided essential infrastructure, equipment, and training, enabling me and my colleagues to continue our vital work. This support was particularly critical when community perceptions of the pandemic were affecting both physical and psychological well-being,” Flora shares.

Thanks to IOM's support, the working conditions of Flora and her team have improved significantly. Access to WASH and isolation facilities by travelers has been enhanced thus reducing the risk of infection and strengthening disease prevention and control. Flora explains: "We worked with IOM to expand the isolation unit, which enabled us to increase our capacity from two patients to six. We also received some medical equipment and now we have a very modern WASH facility which can help us get some Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to purchase items like toiletries and detergents to keep the washroom functioning and clean.”

Flora's passionate efforts have forged strong collaborations with other border agencies, especially the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). Joint trainings organized by IOM have further strengthened these ties, fostering a unified vision for safety and security at the border. Additionally, Flora commends the engagement of the community through common information-sharing platforms, which have fostered a robust connection between her team and community members.

Flora's dedication and focus on teamwork have yielded remarkable results. She recalls: "Thanks to the community platform, the volunteers and community leaders were informed of the recent anthrax epidemic in the region, and the information was rapidly disseminated to the community that complied immediately with the health instructions."

While Flora acknowledges the progress made, she, as a health officer in a border community, yearns for more support to ensure preparedness and immediate assistance to communities during crises.

Her unwavering commitment to public health and unity shines as a testament to the positive change one individual can bring to its community and beyond. Flora, indeed, is a guardian of public health and a symbol of unity in Paga.

The construction of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facility and isolation center and the provision of medical equipment was made possible through the “Improving Border Facilitation and Strengthening Border Public Health Capacities in West Africa in Response to Infectious Diseases/COVID-19” project funded by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ghana, to strengthen the capacities of the borders to handle public health emergencies.