Wa, Nov. 01, GNA - Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd) Minister of Health is leading a high profile team to observe the five-day integrated national measles and poliomyelitis immunization campaign in the Upper West Region which begun throughout the country on Wednesday, November 01.

Other members of the team include Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Madam Dorothy Rodzga, UNICEF Country representative and officials from collaborative partner organizations such as United States Fund for UNICEF, JICA, DANIDA and WHO. Statistics available at the Ministry of Health showed that the region has the highest under-five infant mortality rate in the country. It is 208 deaths per 1,000 life births as against the national average of 111 deaths.

The team would be in the region for three days. Speaking during a courtesy call on Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister at his office on Tuesday, Major Quashigah said this was the first time the various immunization programmes had been integrated and carried out simultaneously.

He said the integration of the programme had significantly helped in reducing cost and expressed the Ministry's appreciation to all collaborative partners for their support.

Madam Rodzga, UNICEF Representative in Ghana said it took UNICEF about nine months to mobilize the necessary logistics. Dr K. O. Antwi-Agyei, Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) said about 9,500 immunization centres had been set up throughout the country and 28,500 trained volunteers recruited for the exercise.

Mr Dery expressed appreciation of the people in the region to UNICEF for sourcing 1.5 million dollars to fight the high incidence of infant mortality in the region.

This, he said gave the region the hope that it could achieve its target of reducing its present high infant mortality rate of 208 deaths per 1,000 life births by half by 2008.

During the exercise, children under five years would be immunized against measles, poliomyelitis and Vitamin A Supplement while children below two years would be given insecticide bed nets against malaria. In the region, children would also be de-wormed. 01 Nov. 06