8 Confirmed cases of measles in VR cause for worry — Dr Djokoto

The Volta Region has recorded eight confirmed cases of measles this year. Although this is below the epidemic threshold, it is cause for worry, the Regional Deputy Director of Health in charge of Public Health, Dr Kwesi Senanu Djokoto, has said. 

He said sustained efforts were needed to strengthen immunisation programmes in the region and increase and sustain demand for both routine and childhood immunisation and COVID-19 vaccination.

Dr Djokoto was speaking at a stakeholder engagement and the second quarter risk communication and sub-committee on demand generation and vaccine uptake in Ho on Wednesday.

About 80 risk communication sub-committee members of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), heads of department, unit heads, representatives of non-governmental organisations and traditional rulers attended the one-day meeting.

Dr Djokoto explained that high vaccine uptake was essential for achieving herd immunity and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.

He announced that a national mass campaign against Measles/Rubella would be organised to halt the spread of the disease, from October 2 to 6. He urged the public to patronise the programme with great zeal and enthusiasm.

“Vaccination is widely regarded as cost-effective, an investment in health security, a human right and essential for public health intervention targeted at reducing childhood mortality and morbidity,” he added.

Dr Djokoto said the region successfully vaccinated 2,556 children who had earlier missed their vaccination in the first half of this year against vaccine-preventable diseases, and 3,703 children were dosed with vitamin A supplements.

However, he said, many children were left unimmunised in the region in the 2024 half year, comprising 7,865 children for Panta three and 9,459 for Measles/Rubella two, using the vaccines as a proxy.

That, he said, had significantly contributed to the low vaccination rate in the region.

Meanwhile, Dr Djokoto said GHS was implementing various programmes and projects to boost vaccine uptake and improve health outcomes, including routine immunisation, mass vaccination campaigns, Child Health Promotion Week, African Vaccination Week, social mobilisation and advocacy.
                                       

COVID-19

He said the National COVID Vaccination Days campaign had also been added to achieve herd immunity. Still on COVID-19, Dr Djokoto said only 538,195 out of the 1,113,194 target population were fully vaccinated up to date, since March 2021.

The figure, he said, represented 48.3 per cent of its target population.

“This is not only one of the lowest rates in the country but also falls short of the 70 per cent target needed to adequately protect the entire population from COVID-19 outbreaks, despite the positive numerous rollouts of the vaccination campaigns,” he added.

The DDH said that although the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as no longer a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the virus still posed a significant global health hazard.

“It is, therefore, important that we continue with the vaccination drive to ensure protection to the entire population,” he said.
                                         

Way forward

On the way forward, the Regional Coordinator of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), Emmanuel Bonsu, highlighted the need to strengthen routine immunisation and supportive supervision and routinise COVID-19 vaccination.

“We must also conduct Measles/Rubella immunisation and Vitamin A supplementation campaign more vigorously,” he said.

A youth queenmother of Ho-Ahoe and a participant, Mama Kuma II, expressed concern over the growing number of junk food joints that operated only at night in Ho and called for concerted efforts and a mass education drive to curb the trend.