TWO NEW VACCINES FOR CHILD HEALTH LAUNCHED IN UE

TWO NEW VACCINES FOR CHILD HEALTH LAUNCHED IN UE June 01, 2012 BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL The Upper East Regional Health Directorate has successfully launched two new vaccines in addition to other numerous initiatives all geared towards reducing under-five child morbidity and mortality in the region. The two new vaccines launched under the theme: “Two More Vaccines for Healthier, Happier Children” are pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines. Upper East Regional minister Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo who did the launch said as Ghana strives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals four and five by the 2015 deadline, a lot more resources must be channeled into the prevention of maternal and infant deaths. He observed that as per a World Health Organisation report, Ghana has made significant progress in immunisation coverage from an initial 4% with only one antigen in 1985 to a national coverage of 90% with nine antigens in 2012. The regional minister who stressed that “health is wealth” expressed hope that the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines that were initially rolled out on May 02, 2012 and aimed at reducing under-five deaths by 37% will go a long way to boost Ghana’s efforts towards achieving the less-than-40 under-five deaths per 1000 live births target set by the Ghana Health Service [GHS]. Mr. Woyongo said it is sad to note that in Ghana, there are about 72,000 cases of pneumonia with more than 4,300 deaths of children within the bracket of 0-59 months annually. Meanwhile, diarrhea is also among the leading causes of deaths worldwide especially among children in their early stages of life. He therefore commended government, the GHS and corporate groups for the timely introduction of the new vaccines. Mr. Woyongo also praised the GHS and its staff in the Upper East region for achieving success under trying conditions especially when the region experienced a CSM outbreak in 2010 and 2012 noting that, the excellent work of the staff in health service delivery has always placed the region as a pace setter. The Upper East Regional Health Director, Dr. John Koku Awoonor-Williams in a speech read for him by Dr. Ernest Opoku, revealed that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation was launched years back in 1978 with six antigens to fight against vaccine preventable diseases that were major causes of under-five deaths. He said in 2002, the country added two vaccines to fight against two more diseases namely hepatitis B and haemohilus influenza B based on the fact that, immunization has been declared by the WHO as one of the most cost-effective health interventions. The Regional Health Director noted that the under-five deaths in Ghana is still high at 80 deaths per 1000 live births although there has been a 30% drop from 2003 to 2008. According to the director, pneumonia which is a vaccine prevental disease is still among the leading causes of death in children of under-five years in Ghana. He noted that deploying the vaccines will lead to a reduction in pneumonia hopitalisations and deaths in the country and subsequently lead to a 20% reduction in under-five deaths in Ghana. Meanwhile in a related development, Mr. Mark Owen Woyongo on 31st May, 2012 visit Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana East district for a briefing by the district health directorate following a cholera outbreak in the district and its sister district, Kassena-Nankana West. The outbreak claimed two lives and caused the admission of about 23 other persons who got infested. According to the Ghana Health Service, the situation has since been brought under control.