Gomoa East District records low child immunization – Survey
A Survey conducted by the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has revealed that, last year, Gomoa East District failed to achieve the 91 percent target set by the National Child Immunization exercise.
According to the Coalition of NGOs, the district had 68 percent in 2014, and 64 percent for children under-five years in 2013.
Mr Bright Amissah-Nyarko, Director of Hero Network, a Swedru-based NGO, made this known at a day’s stakeholders’ forum at Agona Swedru, on the theme: “Reaching every community and targeting every child for Immunization by 2020.”
Other NGOs which took part in the survey were Young and Lonely and I Care for You.
The forum was attended by chiefs, health workers, assembly members, religious bodies, market women, opinion leaders and other stakeholders in health, with sponsorship from Gavi, Health Coalition and Ghana Health Service.
Addressing the participants, Mr Amissah-Nyarko hoped they would go back to their various communities to educate mothers on the need to vaccinate their children under five years against the six childhood killer diseases.
According to Mr Amissah-Nyarko, the survey revealed that many nursing mothers failed to send their children to health facilities for immunization.
Mr Stephen Tietoh, Gomoa East District Director of Health Services, expressed concern about the inability of the district to achieve the 91 percent coverage of the programme.
He disclosed that the District Health Directorate had put in place measures to ensure total immunization of all children under-five years in the area.
Mr Tietoh said some of the measures include training of more volunteers, setting up of immunization centers at all market centres in the district, holding of durbars and motivation of nurses and other health staff, to enable them give of their best.
He hoped this would help the district to achieve the expected percentage of child immunization for this year.
Mr Gilbert Germaine, Executive Director of Young and Lonely NGO, said their outfits would work hard to ensure that children under five years were vaccinated in the 2015 programme.
This would help Ghana to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) in Health For All.
Mr Germaine appealed to the assembly members, chiefs, District Assemblies and other stakeholders in Health, to collaborate with the NGOs to ensure the success of the programme.
Source: GNA