Ashanti Health Directorate Launches Integrated Measles-Rubella Vaccination and Vitamin A Supplementation Campaign

The Ashanti Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has officially launched a comprehensive integrated measles-rubella vaccination and vitamin A supplementation campaign. This five-day campaign, scheduled from October 2nd to 6th, 2024, aims to immunize 903,973 children aged 9-59 months against measles and rubella, while also providing vital vitamin A supplements.

Ghana’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), initiated in 1978, has been instrumental in controlling, eliminating, or eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases. Measles and rubella, highly contagious viral infections transmitted through aerosol droplets, pose significant health risks to children. The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region has set ambitious targets to reduce measles deaths by half by 2005.

Campaign Objectives

1. Reduce morbidity and mortality from measles and rubella among children.
2. Achieve high vaccination coverage (>95%) across all 43 districts in the Ashanti Region.
3. Strengthen Ghana’s immunization program through integrated service delivery.

The campaign will employ a multi-faceted approach to reach the targeted population:

1. Fixed Posts: Designated health facilities and vaccination centers.
2. Outreach Posts: Mobile teams will visit remote communities.
3. Campouts: Temporary vaccination sites in high-density areas.
4. Schools: Vaccination teams will visit schools to immunize enrolled children.
5. Out-of-School Settings: Community centers, markets, and other gathering points.

“The Ashanti Health Directorate is committed to protecting our children from vaccine-preventable diseases. This campaign is crucial in achieving our goals, and we urge all parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive these life-saving vaccinations and vitamin A supplements.”

Ashanti Health Directorate’s integrated measles-rubella vaccination and vitamin A supplementation campaign is a critical step towards ensuring the health and well-being of Ghana’s children. By working together with key stakeholders and leveraging a multi-faceted approach, the region aims to achieve high vaccination coverage and reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases.