LCB Worldwide Ghana Hosts Stakeholder Engagement Meeting, Reaffirms Critical Role in National Biosecurity
Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l Accra, Ghana l Wednesday, December 3, 2025
LCB Worldwide Ghana Ltd. has reiterated the crucial national role of biosecurity measures at the ports during its Stakeholder Engagement Meeting held on Wednesday at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra. The meeting brought together officials from port health, traders groups, and business associations to deliberate on strengthening Ghana’s biosecurity systems amid increasing global mobility and public health threats.
In her opening remarks, Esinam Adoko, Head of Research and Public Relations at LCB Worldwide Ghana, underscored the need for sustained collaboration in protecting the country from cross-border spread of pathogens.
“We are here because we’re healthy,” she said. “What we are doing at the ports and other points of entry is extremely crucial, and it is meant to prevent the cross-border spread of pathogens. Everything we do is in partnership with our stakeholders. We are here to deliberate, discuss, and identify areas where we can improve to sustain this important public health activity for our families, businesses, and the future.”
Biosecurity at Points of Entry: Ghana as a Pace Setter
Delivering a presentation on The Importance of Biosecurity at the Ports, Dr. Raphael John Marfo, Former Director of Port Health at the Ghana Health Service, emphasized that ports remain the primary pathways for microbes and emerging diseases.
“Ports of entry are the pathways of microbes into every country,” he said. “If not for effective disinfection and biosecurity measures during COVID-19, Ghana’s seaports would have been forced to shut down like those in other countries. LCB’s work played a major role in allowing Ghana’s ports to remain operational.”
Dr. Marfo revealed that countries such as Tanzania and Nigeria have sought to learn from Ghana’s model after witnessing the country’s biosecurity success during the pandemic. He added that strong biosecurity systems promote international trade, improve port efficiency, bolster investor confidence, and support the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
He encouraged stakeholders to support LCB: “Pandemics will come because we live in a globalized economy. Our first line of defense is biosecurity at our entry points.”
Traders Advocate Nationwide Expansion of LCB’s Services
General Secretary of the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), Nana Poku, commended LCB’s track record and called for the expansion of their services beyond the ports to communities across the country.
“LCB has done a credible job all these years,” he stated. “We urge government to expand their work nationwide because sanitation issues are contributing to the spread of diseases. Countries like Indonesia and Kenya are doing it. Ghana must also take advantage of this.”
He encouraged LCB to submit formal proposals to government, emphasizing that the company’s activities align with national public health interests.
Business Community Reaffirms Support
Also adding his voice, Dr. Joseph Obeng, Former President of the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), highlighted how the business community embraced port disinfection once its benefits became clear.
“People did not understand the disinfection programme at first, but once the Ministry of Health educated us, we appreciated that the pathogens carried by imported containers needed to be addressed before reaching our households,” he said.
He emphasized that stakeholders co-own the programme and that it has provided benefits beyond the ports, including disinfection of markets and secondary schools.
“We spend 70% of our time in business environments, so disinfection is key to our health. Ghana has become a pace setter. Other countries are now learning from us because they have seen the value of this exercise.”
Commitment to Strengthening National Health Security
The stakeholder meeting ended with a renewed call for continuous collaboration to improve Ghana’s biosecurity infrastructure, especially at points of entry.
Participants agreed that effective biosecurity is essential not only for health protection but also for sustaining trade, economic stability, and national security.
LCB Worldwide Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to working with government agencies, the trading community, and international partners to safeguard the nation against emerging and re-emerging health threats.
