This year, the Volta Region has seen eight confirmed cases of measles. Dr. Kwesi Senanu Djokoto, the regional deputy director of health in charge of public health, has stated that while this is not an epidemic, it is nonetheless reason for concern. According to him, persistent work was required to improve the region’s Measles immunization programs and to raise and maintain demand for COVID-19 vaccination as well as standard children immunization.Speaking on Wednesday in Ho, Dr. Djokoto addressed a subcommittee on demand generation and vaccine uptake as well as a stakeholder engagement and second quarter risk communication.
The one-day meeting was attended by over 80 members of the Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) risk communication subcommittee, department and unit heads, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and traditional leaders.High Measles vaccination rates, according to Dr. Djokoto, are necessary to develop herd immunity and stop the spread of infectious illnesses. He declared that from October 2 to October 6, a nationwide mass campaign against measles/rubella will be held in an effort to stop the disease’s spread. He enthusiastically and fervently urged the people to tune into the broadcast.
According to Dr. Djokoto, 3,703 children received vitamin A supplement doses and 2,556 children who had previously missed their vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases in the first half of this year were successfully immunized in the region. But using the vaccines as a stand-in, he claimed that a large number of youngsters in the region were not vaccinated during the 2024 half year, including 7,865 for Panta three and 9,459 for Measles/Rubella two. He said that this was a major factor in the area’s low immunization rate.Dr. Djokoto reported that GHS was carrying out a number of initiatives and programs to increase vaccination rates and enhance health outcomes. These included social mobilization, advocacy, mass vaccination campaigns, Child Health Promotion Week, African Vaccination Week, and routine immunization.
In order to attain herd immunity, he noted, the National COVID Vaccination Days program had also been implemented. Regarding COVID-19, Dr. Djokoto stated that as of March 2021, only 538,195 individuals out of the 1,113,194 target population had received all recommended vaccinations. He stated that the percentage accounted for 48.3% of the intended audience.The World Health Organization determined that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), but the virus remained a serious threat to world health, according to the DDH.
Emmanuel Bonsu, the Regional Coordinator of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), emphasized the necessity of routinely administering COVID-19 vaccinations as well as strengthening supportive supervision and immunization protocols going forward. Mama Kuma II, a participant and Ho-Ahoe’s young queenmother, voiced concern about the increasing number of junk food establishments in Ho that were only open at night and suggested coordinated action and widespread education campaigns to stop the trend.
SOURCE https://dew360.net
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