By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, Dec. 24, GNA – The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) and Expanded Programme on Immunisation have (EPI) have called for stronger collaboration with civil society organisations to sustain immunisation efforts and prevent infections among children.
Mr Daniel Adu Asomaning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Vaccine Safety Officer at the Ghana Health Service’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), said such collaboration would deepen community engagement and improve understanding and acceptance of vaccination.
He made the call at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on an Immunisation Advocacy Project, organised by the International Paediatric Association in partnership with the Paediatric Society of Ghana, with support from the Gates Foundation.
Mr Asomaning said the project, which began in October 2025 and is expected to end in 2028, aims to create an enabling environment for the introduction of new vaccines, develop policies to achieve and sustain high coverage, address vaccine hesitancy and create a sense of urgency.
He said the initiative would also enable healthcare providers to strongly recommend new vaccines to parents and caregivers, support governments to address myths and misconceptions, and ensure vaccine accessibility at all levels.
Mr Asomaning said Ghana’s EPI, since its introduction in 1978, had recorded significant successes, including the elimination of neonatal tetanus since 2011 and a substantial reduction in measles-related deaths.
He said measles, once a leading cause of childhood mortality in the 1980s and early 1990s, recorded no deaths between 2003 and 2021, until vaccine stock-outs in 2021–2022 led to limited outbreaks.
Mr Asomaning said Ghana had also not recorded any case of wild poliovirus since 2008, underscoring the effectiveness of sustained vaccination efforts.
He however warned that sustaining these gains required reliable financing, particularly as donor support declines.
Mr Asomaning said Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, was gradually phasing out its support to Ghana by 2029–2030, thereby placing a greater financial burden on the Government.
“There must be a deliberate roadmap and designated budget lines for immunisation adding that vaccination is not an expense; but an investment and therefore government must commit finances for sustainability,” he added.
Professor Anthony Kwame Enimil, an infectious diseases paediatrician and member of Advocates Against Illegal Mining, reiterated the importance of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases and reducing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
He warned that failure to sustain immunisation efforts could result in the loss of many lives.
Prof. Enimil said preventing infections through vaccination significantly reduced the use and misuse of antibiotics, a major driver of antimicrobial resistance.
“When infections are not prevented, people with fever may resort to buying antibiotics from pharmacies without proper diagnosis. This has contributed to the rise of pan-resistant organisms, where no antibiotic works,” he added.
Prof. Enimil said cases were increasingly being recorded where patients failed to respond to all available antibiotics, leading to preventable deaths and the risk of spreading drug-resistant infections within communities.
He therefore called for increased vaccine coverage to reduce infections, limit antibiotic use and lower pressure on existing medicines, thereby preserving their effectiveness.
Dr Hilda Mantebea Boye, President of the Paediatric Society of Ghana, said immunisation remained one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, yet many communities continued to face barriers such as misinformation, limited access, funding gaps and weak advocacy structures.
“Today’s consultation provides an opportunity to influence on our progress, openly discuss challenges, and strengthen our advocacy efforts to ensure immunisation remains a priority at all levels,” she stated.
Dr Boye called for collective expertise, influence and commitment to ensure that every child, everywhere, had access to life-saving vaccines.
She said the project would also involve the selection of Immunisation Champions to be oriented to continuously engage and support the EPI in its programmes.
The meeting brought together policymakers, health professionals, civil society organisations, development partners, community representatives and advocates committed to protecting the lives of children.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey