Ghana has officially launched the 2025 African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW) with a renewed commitment to strengthening child health services and expanding immunisation coverage across the country.

The launch, held at Mantse Agboena in Jamestown, Accra, was themed “Every Child Deserves a Healthy Future: Invest in Your Child. Attend ‘Weighing’ Regularly.” It brought together health professionals, traditional leaders, government officials, and development partners in a united call to improve early childhood healthcare.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Chief Director Dr Hafez Adam Taher announced the introduction of two new vaccines as part of the country’s life-course immunisation strategy—the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for adolescent girls and the hepatitis B birth dose for newborns.

“These innovations are aimed at reducing disease burden and promoting lifelong health from infancy through adulthood,” Dr Taher stated, adding that public trust in vaccines must be reinforced through education and community mobilisation.

The weeklong event features community-based health activities including child weighing, birth registration, nutrition assessments, and the distribution of information on vaccine safety and child wellness. UNICEF, in support of the campaign, donated megaphones to boost public awareness efforts.

Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), emphasised the government’s ongoing commitment to equitable access to life-saving vaccines, especially for children in underserved areas.

“By investing in our children’s future, we are nurturing Ghana’s future leaders, professionals, and nation-builders,” he said, while urging families to make regular visits to child welfare clinics.

Dr Robert Amesiya, Acting Greater Accra Regional Health Director, described the campaign as a vital opportunity to intensify efforts against vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. He reaffirmed that health facilities across the region had been directed to step up child health activities throughout the week.

“Vaccination is one of the best health investments any society can make,” Dr Amesiya said.

UNICEF Ghana’s Chief of Health, Dr Manuel Dewez, applauded Ghana’s sustained immunisation success, noting the country’s over 95% coverage for routine vaccinations (DPT3). He called Ghana a “regional model of equity and innovation” but raised concerns over delays in the country’s Vaccine Financing Transition Roadmap.

Dr Dewez also highlighted a 2022 UNICEF analysis showing that two-thirds of Ghanaian children live in food poverty, stressing that “food poverty doesn’t just mean lack of food—it also means poor dietary diversity.”

He urged stakeholders to promote nutrient-rich diets, especially for young children, including foods like eggs, which are essential for healthy growth and development.

The launch marks a coordinated national effort to prioritise child survival and development through robust immunisation, nutrition, and health education programmes.

Credit: Graphic Online