The Ghana Health Service (GHS) officially launched a National Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign on Tuesday, targeting children aged nine months to under five years.
Running from October 2 to 6, 2024, the initiative aims to vaccinate over 5 million children across all 16 regions, with the goal of interrupting the transmission of the measles virus and enhancing immunity among young children.
Launching the campaign in Accra, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the GHS said that the initiative was crucial for ensuring that no child was left behind in the nation’s goal of achieving a 95 percent vaccination coverage for the measles rubella vaccine.
During the campaign, Vitamin A will also be administered to children aged six months to under five years to reduce the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency.
The nutrient is crucial for immune system function and plays a significant role in the healthy growth and development of children.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye urged caregivers to ensure their children received the vaccines and vitamin A supplements.
“Your involvement can make the difference, I wish to emphasize that vaccines are safe, highly effective, and free, Measles and Rubella vaccines have been used globally and in Ghana for decades in saving millions of live.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye assured that all vaccination teams were well-trained to uphold the highest safety standards during the campaign.
Dr. Frank John Lule, WHO Country Representative to Ghana, noted that through comprehensive immunization strategies, enhanced case management, and essential childhood interventions, Ghana had significantly reduced measles deaths to nearly zero.
He urged district health facilities to fully utilise the available resources for the Measles Rubella Campaign to decrease the number of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications and, in some cases death.
Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, major epidemics occurred every
two to three years, resulting in an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually.
Dr. Lule pointed out that while a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, measles still posed a threat.
In 2022, approximately 136,000 measles deaths were reported worldwide, primarily among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under five.
He emphasised that in areas with low immunization coverage, the measles virus could spread easily, heightening the risk of outbreaks and endangering unvaccinated children.
In Ghana, delays in implementing the Measles and Rubella Follow-Up Campaign, coupled with vaccine supply challenges, have resulted in an increase in cases since 2022.
Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Program Manager for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) at GHS, underscored the need to mobilise communities and healthcare workers for the success of the vaccination campaign.
He stressed that collaboration between healthcare workers, educators, community leaders, and caregivers was vital in promoting vaccination initiatives and ensuring every child received life-saving vaccines.
