Ghana News

(Bolgatanga, Ghana, 5 May, 2014) - The Honourable Minister for Health, Ms Sherry Ayittey launched the 10th anniversary of  the Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW) on Friday May 2, 2014 at The Jubilee Park, at Bolgatanga, the regional capital of the Upper East Region. The week is being observed concurrently with the 4th African Vaccination Week. A colourful crowd of traditional rulers and a cross-section of the public was in   attendance.

A three-day workshop was organized from 28-30 April 2014 for eight Anglophone countries in Accra, Ghana, brought together five participants each from Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. The participants were drawn from national EPI, National Regulatory Authority, Pharmacovigilance centres, and WHO national Focal Persons for EPI and Essential Medicines and Health Products. The workshop was facilitated and technical support provided by WHO HQ, WHO AFRO and WHO IST/ESA.   

The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr Magda Robalo, has commended Ghana for the continuous efforts to keep immunization coverage quite high and the burden of vaccine preventable diseases very low. She said Ghana stands tall for the country’s efforts to date, and the leadership in the introduction of vaccines against the major childhood killer diseases in the sub-region.

Ghana joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2014 World Health Day (WHD) at the forecourt of the Ghana Health Service Headquarters in Accra. The focus this year was on Vector Borne Diseases (VBD) which includes Malaria, Lymphatic filariasis (which can cause Elephantiasis) and Yellow Fever. Highlighting the serious and increasing threat these diseases pose to global health and the need to protect ourselves from the vectors such as the mosquitoes which play a key role in the transmission of VBD, the slogan for the campaign was “small bite, big threat”.

1. Background

An outbreak of Ebola Viral Disease in Guinea was officially reported to WHO on 21st March 2014. Since, the Country Office in Ghana has been in the forefront of multiple unfolding events in Ghana. An official communication was sent to Ghana’s Minister of Health to inform her about the outbreak. Heads of bilateral and multilateral agencies and other partners were also provided with available information regarding the outbreak.

Several other activities have also been undertaken in the following areas:

Presentation of credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs - Dr Magda Robalo, on Wednesday 12 March 2014, presented her credentials to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Hannah Tetteh to officially assume office as the World Health Organization Representative (WR) to Ghana. During their interaction WR mentioned the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the key item on the WHO agenda; specifically MDG4 and MDG5 together with the support to strengthen the Health Systems in Ghana.

This year’s African Vaccination Week was commemorated together with the annual Child Health Promotion Week on the 23rd April, 2013 under the theme “Healthy Children; Great Future” with the slogan “Vaccinate, Prevent disabilities, Save lives”.

THE REGIONAL MINISTER FOR UPPER WEST REGION AS SPECIAL GUEST of honour at the lauching ceremony of MenA Campaign! This happened on 5th October, 2012 at Tendamba Junior High School Park.

“The objective of such customized launching was to ensure adequate public awareness for the Meningitis type ‘A’ Mass vaccination campaign in the region”, explained WHO EPI Focal Point, Mr Stanley Diamenu who has been supporting the region from the start of preparation.

SCHOOLS, YOUNG BOYS AND YOUNG GIRLS FIRST! The message was clear enough for all vaccinators and supervisors. This had been one of the key recommendations made by WHO Officers supporting the campaign with Mr Stanley Diamenu in Upper West Region, Dr Vincent Ahove in Upper East Region and Dr Pierre Bwale, MenA Consultant based at Tamalé, the Capital City of Northern Region.

In effect, vaccinations sites had been established in all those areas. Young vaccinators made up of males and females wearing their yellow aprons were ready for the service.

Tamalé, 9 October, 2012 -- About 2,999,293 Ghanaians aged between one and twenty-nine years including pregnant women and lactating mothers within the age brackets are to be immunized from 9-18 October, 2012 against Meningococcal type “A” also known as Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in a vast campaign involving the three northern regions of Ghana which include Northern region, Upper East and Upper West. The vaccination is free of charge to the public and will take the form of an injection.