The Ghana Health Service has announced plans to embark on a nationwide immunization exercise for measles, targeted at children between the ages of nine months to 59 months.
The immunization programme is set to commence on Wednesday, October 2 and end on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
The exercise aims to safeguard children from measles and rubella while also providing essential vitamin A supplementation to support their overall health and well-being.
During a press conference in the Ashanti region today, the Regional Director of Health Service, highlighted the importance of the initiative.
He explained “It’s a national exercise, a supplemental or supplementary immunisation activity with measles rubella vaccine. It’s integrated because we are also adding vitamin A supplementation. This year we recorded outbreaks across the whole country and in the Ashanti region.
He said in the Ashanti region,903,973 children are targeted to receive measles vaccination.
With support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, they officially launched the 2024 Measles-Rubella and Vitamin A Supplementation Campaign today at the health Directorate.
The campaign is set to run from 2nd to 6th October 2024 across all 43 districts in the Ashanti Region, targeting a population of 903,973 children between the ages of 9 and 59 months.
This year’s campaign, themed “Measles and Rubella Kills, Vaccinate Your Child Now for Good Life,” aims to raise awareness about the dangers of measles and rubella, and the necessity of vaccination in preventing these life-threatening diseases.
Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, spreads through coughing, sneezing, or close contact with an infected person, and can cause severe illness, complications, and even death.
While it can affect anyone, it remains most prevalent among children. Common symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and a characteristic rash that spreads over the body.
“Ashanti Region, being the largest, requires extra support, and we are here to help ensure that the expected coverage percentages are achieved, which will significantly reduce the rate at which outbreaks are occurring,” Ms. Nii-Quaye stated.
Statistics from the Ghana Health Service show an upward trend in measles cases, with only one case recorded in 2020, four in 2021, 24 in 2022, and a sharp increase to 79 cases in 2023.
According to WHO, approximately 700,000 children in Ghana were at risk of contracting measles and rubella in 2023, with 15 districts identified as high-risk areas for a measles outbreak.
As the campaign kicks off, health authorities and their partners will work tirelessly to ensure that the coverage targets are met, which is critical in preventing further outbreaks and safeguarding the health of children across the region.
