GHS Launches Child Health Promotion in Kumasi, Urges Stakeholders to Promote Immunisation
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in partnership with its stakeholders has launched the 2023 Child Health Promotion in Kumasi. The launch, which coincided with the African Vaccination Week, was themed “The Big Catch-up,” and aimed at promoting the benefits of immunization against childhood diseases. The week-long activities would help augment uptake of routine services that affected the health of children under five years.
Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director-General of GHS, in his keynote address, stated that immunization was a critical public health issue as vaccines prevent two to three million children from death annually worldwide. He added that vaccines not only protected children from vaccine-protected diseases but also serve as a platform to deliver other live-saving interventions such as vitamin A supplementation, distribution of insecticide-treated nets, counselling, among others.
Dr Aboagye further stated that Ghana had made significant progress in child mortality reduction, with immunization being a major contributor to the achievement. He also revealed that the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health, had secured childhood vaccines that had been in short supply recently, and they were now available across the country. The Director-General expressed the need to accelerate efforts to ensure that no child was denied the opportunity of getting the full benefits of being vaccinated and other child health interventions.
Dr. Francis Kasolo, the Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), stated that vaccination was one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available. He added that vaccines did not only protect the individuals who received them but also created herd immunity, which helped to protect the entire community, including the unvaccinated population. Dr. Rita Larsen-Reindorf, in her address on behalf of the Regional Director of Health Service, emphasized the importance of the first five years of the life of every child, as it sets the tone for growth and development of the child.
The launch of the Child Health Promotion by the GHS and its partners is a commendable initiative geared towards child health promotion, and it is expected to yield positive results in increasing the uptake of routine services and childhood immunization. Stakeholders are urged to promote the benefits of immunization and other childhood interventions to ensure that no child is left behind in accessing the full course of the live-saving vaccines.