Ghana Health Service launches 2023 child health promotion week

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in collaboration with its partners has launched the 2023 Child Health Promotion in Kumasi with a call on stakeholders to promote the benefits of immunisation against childhood diseases.

The launch which coincided with the first senior managers’ meeting of the GHS for 2023, was launched alongside the African Vaccination Week on the theme, “The Big Catch-up.”

Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director-General of GHS who gave the keynote address, said Ghana had made substantial progress in child mortality reduction with immunisation being a major contributor to the achievement.

He said vaccines prevent two to three million children from death annually worldwide, saying that immunising children was a critical public health issue.

“Immunisation does not only protect 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, counseling among others.”

He said the week-long activities would help to augment the uptake of routine services that affected the health of children under five years.

It is also part of efforts by the GHS and the Ministry of Health to scale up childhood immunisation and other services geared towards child health promotion.

He said the government of Ghana through the Health Ministry had secured childhood vaccines that had been in short supply recently, adding that, they were now available across the country.

The Director-General said Ghana was on the path of ensuring that no child was left behind in accessing the full course of the live-saving vaccines.

He said it was time 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 Aboagye reminded all stakeholders that they owed children the moral and civic responsibility to promote the benefits of immunisation as well as other childhood interventions.

Dr. Francis Kasolo, the Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said vaccination was one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available.

He said 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 an address on behalf of the Regional Director of Health Service, said the first five years of the life of every child was the most vulnerable as it sets the tone for growth and development of the child.

She said it was therefore important for the GHS and the Ministry to set aside a week annually to highlight child health interventions.