Bawumia launches National health week

Bolgatanga, (Upper East) 3 Nov. '98

Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, chairman of the Council of State, has launched this year's National Health week programme of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) at Bolgatanga with a call for more efforts by all Ghanaians to ensure health for all by 2000. The week-long programme on the theme, "Healthy mothers, healthy families", coincides with national immunisations campaign against poliomyelitis, slated throughout the country on November seven. Activities of the week will be focused on improving the health status of mothers and children in the Upper East Region through the provision of health services, free consultations, symposiums, lectures and talks. He said parents in the Upper East Region should endeavour to have all their children below age five immunised against polio and the other six childhood killer diseases. Alhaji Bawumia urged the people to keep their surroundings clean to minimise the outbreak of diseases and lessen government's expenditure on health care. Dr J.K. Kwakye-Maafo, president of the GMA, said the theme was chosen because mothers and children who form about 70 per cent of the population are the most affected by sicknesses and deaths.