Ghana - 32nd Highest Child Mortality in the World

Ghana has the 32nd highest rate of under-5 mortality in the world. For every 100 children born in Ghana, 12 die before their fifth birthday. Malaria, which affects 3.5 million people yearly, continues to be the leading killer of Ghanaian children.

"It is unfortunate that so many Ghanaian children still suffer and die from diseases that are easily preventable and treatable with minimum resources," said Courage Quashigah, the Minister for Health. The Ministry's new focus is on regenerative health and nutrition, with particular emphasis on improving health and sanitation, proper nutrition and the adoption of safe behaviours for malaria control.

The Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF Ghana and other partners, has adopted an integrated health programme to battle infant mortality and improve child health through the High impact Rapid Delivery (HIRD) approach.

The integrated approach of cost-effective strategies, which will help to achieve MDGs 4&5, combines immunization, infant and young child feeding, management of childhood illnesses and improved antenatal care - is already having a positive impact on the determinants of child mortality.

"We must build on the strengths of the broad partnerships achieved during the integrated campaigns in 2006-07 in our fight to reduce child mortality," said Dr Joaquim Saweko, WHO Representative in Ghana. Immunisation campaigns have resulted in a dramatic reduction of measles cases and no deaths have been reported in Ghana since 2003.

Encouraging the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs), and the distribution of anti-malarial drugs through community based volunteers have become a key component in the home management of malaria. More than 3.5 million ITNs have been distributed to children and pregnant women during successive campaigns 2006-07, and universal coverage could save the lives of 20,000 Ghanaian children that die from malaria every year.

In 2007, UNICEF Ghana supported a pilot project for a new and promising anti-malarial drug among infants, which is highly effective in reducing malaria infection. The agency is also supporting the Ghana Red Cross Society and their network of Mother-to-Mother supported clubs to scale up prevention and home management of fevers.

Through it Universal Iodisation of Salt programme, UNICEF is also supporting the Government of Ghana to prevent iodine deficiency disorders among newborns and pregnant, by promoting the household consumption of iodised slat.

"Simple strategies that are effective and low cost, and can provide practical solutions, can help in the battle to reduce child mortality and improve child health in Ghana," said UNICEF Representative, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque

"Empowering communities with the knowledge and tools to provide home-based treatment and the prevention of childhood illnesses is a significant step towards ensuring the survival rights of all Ghanaian children."