The La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Health Directorate in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has launched the 2025 edition of the Annual African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Protection Week (CHPW) at Kekele Hospital at Madina in Accra.
Instituted in 2010, AVW is an annual event celebrated during the second quarter with other WHO regions with the aim of promoting the use of all ages against diseases.
The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service (GHS) lead the observation of the week in Ghana, synchronizing it with the week-long CHPW also aiming to raise awareness and promote uptake of essential child health services that the GHS provides to improve child health and survival.
It was celebrated under the theme “Every child deserves a healthy future, invest in your child, attend weighing regularly.”
Launching it, the Medical Superintendent of Kekele Hospital, Dr.Emmanuel Asante stressed the importance of child health interventions, especially during the early stages of life.
He said it has been proven that such interventions ranging from vaccinations and nutritional advice to proper neonatal care play a crucial role in determining whether a child grows to achieve its full potential or not.
The services rendered during CHPW at all clinics and hospitals in the municipality included immunizations, vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring and birth registration, child nutrition and breast feeding and malaria prevention education.
On her part, the Municipal Director for National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ms. Dolly Agyeman emphasized the need for advocacy and community engagement activities to enhance the vaccine uptake in the municipality and the Greater Accra Region as a whole.
She underscored the need for mothers, caregivers, health professionals and NCCE to use the week as opportunities to boost awareness to protect children from deadly diseases.
The child today, she said, is the leader tomorrow juxtaposing the theme for the launch with the working theme of the Commission this year: Ghana’s Future Our Collective Responsibility.”
She therefore called on all stakeholders to rise to the occasion since neglecting this responsibility could jeopardize a child’s long-term health and wellbeing.
