Integrated Child Health Campaign

In addition to the simple, but key, action to alert parents to the weeklong campaign - which involved 1.5 million printed leaflets being distributed to all primary schools - this campaign drew on the engagement and participation of many individuals and groups in an effort to foster long-term community change. Teams of health workers and volunteers provided campaign services at 9,500 immunisation posts across the country; to support this process, over 28,000 volunteers were trained in the run-up to the campaign. Members of the media got involved in the education campaign, as well: Local journalists attended workshops on their role in averting malaria deaths.

Prominent personnel also lent their voices of support through various mobilisation and advocacy activities. As part of the inter-ministerial response, during the first 2 days of the campaign, the Minister of Health and Minister of Women and Children's Affairs visited the Upper West Region of Ghana to help ensure its successful implementation; other dignitaries also undertook efforts to support other regions. Every District Assembly developed mobilisation plans of action. In addition, development partners and ambassadors carried out campaign visits and other initiatives. Faith-based organisations (FBOs) and churches were also called upon to help spur community participation.

Children, Health, Immunisation.

According to organisers, some 80,000 children under the age of 5 die every year in Ghana, most of them from preventable or treatable diseases. Malaria is hyper-endemic, and claims one-quarter of all under-5 deaths every year (20,000 lives). Malnutrition is the underlying cause of death in half of all under-5 deaths; acute respiratory infection is responsible for 18% of under-five deaths, and diarrhoea for another 18%. The consistent use of treated bed nets could reduce all-cause child mortality in Ghana by 20%, but usage by children under 5 and pregnant women remains low. National infant and child mortality rates that have failed to improve over the last 5 years.

The weeklong campaign is part of series of recent efforts by the Government of Ghana to prevent the deaths of young children, such as High Impact Rapid Delivery (HIRD) - a nationwide strategy to boost Ghana's chances of achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, the reduction of child and maternal mortality. HIRD delivers a series of proven, low-cost health interventions in communities where families lack access to healthcare facilities and knowledge on how to manage common childhood diseases. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative complements the HIRD approach, in part by motivating community members to become more active participants in the provision of their own healthcare.