In marking the 2025 African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW), the WHO, the Ghana Health Service Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) jointly organized a webinar with a call for enhanced advocacy in promoting vaccination drive in the country.
The joint commemoration of African Vaccination Week and Child Health Promotion Week reinforces the shared duty to protect children, strengthen immunization systems, and empower communities with lifesaving information.
It also underscores the need to ensuring equitable access to vaccine and resilient health systems for universal health coverage (UHC).
Vaccination has been proven to be one of the greatest public health achievements of human history, protecting millions of lives every year and Ghana’s immunization has seen major success in spite of challenges including polio control, elimination of neonatal tetanus, progress towards elimination of measles and other childhood killer diseases and over all contribution to child survival.
Program manager for the expanded programme on immunization at the Ghana Health Service, during a presentation on the overview of vaccination in the country highlighted that vaccine uptake depends largely on what information is shared which fuels misconceptions for hesitancy among the populace.
‘‘We have made significant gains including polio control, elimination of neonatal tetanus, progress towards elimination of measles and other childhood killer diseases and over all contribution to child survival. So this should tell you how important immunization is.
“The vaccine are safe and so we need to sustain the gains. It’s one of the challenges. We need to intensify awareness, vaccine hesitancy persists among the populace as a result of misconceptions and that needs to be tackled. We also need to look at the heavily reliance on donor partners.,’’ he stated.
On his part Professor Francis B. Zotor, Vice Board Chair of AMMREN noted that in an era where misinformation can spread faster than any virus, journalists have a responsibility not just to report, but to educate, to clarify, and to champion the truth.
‘‘This year’s theme for the vaccination week, “Every Child deserves a healthy future; invest in your child. Attend ‘weighing regularly,” speaks directly to our shared mission as communicators and storytellers. Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions known to humanity, and yet, its success depends not only on science and logistics, but also on trust, information, and public confidence.
“And that’s where journalists come in. In an era where misinformation can spread faster than any virus, journalists have a responsibility not just to report, but to educate, to clarify, and to champion the truth. Whether it’s countering vaccine myths, sharing personal testimonies, or highlighting the work of frontline health workers, journalists have a pivotal role in shaping the national narrative,’’ he said.
Proposed activities to mark the week includes: a webinar, a press release, a health walk and float, media engagements to promote awareness and high level visit to vaccination centers.
The Webiner brought together, health experts, policy makers, health professional and media practitioners and development partners. This year’s commemoration is on the theme: “Every Child Deserves a Healthy Future: Invest in Your Child”.
By Sarah Apenkroh
