Accra: The Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service (GHS), and partners are gearing up to implement a Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program targeting adolescent girls this year, the Minister of Health has announced. This initiative aims to offer long-lasting protection against cervical cancer among young girls across the nation.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, revealed these plans in a speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Hafiz Adam Taher during the launch of the 2025 Child Health Promotion Week and the African Vaccination Week in Accra. Alongside the HPV initiative, the GHS is planning to introduce Hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns to combat chronic infections and prevent perinatal transmission.
The theme for the launch event was ‘Every Child Deserves a Healthy Future; Invest in Your Child. Attend ‘Weighing’ Regularly.’ This event precedes the African Vaccination Week held in the last week of April and the Child Health Promotion Week in the second week of May, both aimed at improving child health and expanding access to essential immunization services.
The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to building a healthy population through the Life-Course Approach to vaccination. From birth, vaccines are crucial in protecting newborns and infants against diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Measles, Polio, Meningitis, Yellow Fever, and Tetanus. These early immunizations lay the groundwork for lifelong health and development.
Mr. Akandoh called on parents, caregivers, and the business community to actively engage in child health promotion activities, urging investment in initiatives that ensure a healthier future for children.
Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Acting Director-General of the GHS, noted that two-thirds of Ghanaian children suffer from inadequate nutrition, a situation that requires urgent change. He highlighted the GHS’s achievements, such as the elimination of childhood poliovirus and maternal and neonatal tetanus, alongside significant declines in rotavirus carriers and pneumococcal diseases among children.
Despite a reduction in infant mortality to 28.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, Prof. Kaba stressed the need for continued efforts and collaboration to secure children’s health.
Dr. Manuel Dewey, Chief of Health at UNICEF, praised Ghana’s leadership in achieving 95% routine immunization coverage and urged the government to develop sustainable financing mechanisms as the nation transitions out of Gavi’s co-financing mechanism. He emphasized the importance of implementing the Vaccine Financing Transition Roadmap to prevent stockouts and ensure sustainability.
The event also offered various essential health services, including immunization, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, growth monitoring, nutrition assessment, and more. UNICEF contributed by donating megaphones and aprons to support community mobilization activities.
