The Ho Municipal Health Directorate has marked this year's Child Health Promotion Week with a series of activities focused on enhancing infant healthcare promotion.
As a tradition, the health directorate lined up community durbars, outreaches and other activities for the year's celebration which is on the theme 'The Big Catchup.'
Ms Shine Garvey, Ho Municipal Health Promotion Officer, told the GNA that about 30 community durbars were held across the Municipality, with more than 50 community information centers employed to support heath broadcast.
Several media outlets including radio and TV stations in the Municipality were also engaged, and there was child health related education and services at all Out-Patient Departments and health service delivery points.
A total of eight identifiable organised groups within the Municipality among which were associations of beauticians, and dressmakers, joined in on the week celebration, receiving education on child health.
There was a heavy promotion of child health activities in the Ho Central Market, where the directorate employed the use PA systems to reach out to a significant number on major market days.
Market women who are care givers benefited from child health clinics set up around the market, while themselves got screened for non-communicable diseases such as Blood Pressure, and HIV.
Care givers also received counselling on infant care, nutrition and family planning, and vaccination teams were on hand to fill in immunisation needs.
A grand durbar is held each year to climax the week celebration, and this year's event was held at the Ahoe Community, which lies in the heart of the Municipality.
The durbar was attended by mothers and their children from the various health zones, and there were health workers who managed them also present.
Madam Perfect Titianti, Municipal Director of Health Services asked caregivers to strictly uphold post-natal services and care, and to seek to ensure total care for the child by faithfully attending child welfare clinics.
She used the occasion to highlight the need for a heavy emphasis on breastfeeding, noting that the rate of exclusive breastfeeding should not decrease.
The Health Services Director said aside the exclusive six months, mothers should find the essence in extending breastfeeding to the recommended 24 months.
Mothers were also told to ensure quality nutrient composition in the complimentary diets of infants, and to maintain constant growth monitoring through the antenatal sessions.
This year's celebration had a focus on WASH, and the Director asked mothers and care givers to practice deep hygiene and imbibe some into the developing infant.
Madam Titianti also called attention to the immunisation coverage within the Municipality, which was also a major focus for the celebration.
She said the coverage of immunisation was at a low, and that although the data was encouraging for childhood immunisation coverage, more would have to be done to enhance uptake especially with the introduction of more vaccines.
The Director said uptake of the malaria vaccine in the Municipality, which has entered routine immunisation following a successful pilot, was commendable, and with close to 2000 children vaccinated in April when it begun.
She asked mothers to trust the vaccination programs, saying they should be encouraged by the complete reduction in child mortalities.
The durbar was addressed by resource persons at the Directorate including the Municipal Nutritionist who helped care givers identify and utilize locally sourced and affordable nutrient sources.
Other health officers at the event spoke on related health subjects including family planning, where couples were encouraged to space childbirth to be able to cater well for their needs.
Children who fully patronised child health services without defaulting for about three years and above, were awarded certificates at the event.
Ms Shine Garvey said to the GNA that although it was a week activity, the celebration extended to cover the month, due to the premium on child health.
She said health nurses in the Municipality deserved commendation for actively supporting the celebration although it did not enjoy external stakeholder support like years prior.
Ms Garvey said the celebration helped enhance coverage of child health services, while a defaulter identification system helped reach more infants for care.
She said home visits were being strictly upheld by the various health delivery zones, which helped trace and boost up child health services including routine immunisation.
Ms Garvey added that the promotion of insecticide bed nets among the communities continued, and so was nutrition sensitisation.
Source: Ghana News Agency