Ghana ranks high in child morbidity and mortality

Accra, Nov. 11, GNA - Globally, Ghana ranks 42 out of 191 countries with respect with mortality of children under five years old. Children under five years old are still the most vulnerable to illness and death and morbidity and mortality rates among young children remain high in Ghana with about 80,000 children under five dying each year, mostly from preventable causes.

This was contained in a statement signed by Ms Honesty Numetu, Greater Accra Regional Health Promotion Specialist of Ghana Health Service (GHS), in Accra on Wednesday.

The statement is in connection with the Integrated Maternal and Child Health Campaign 2009 scheduled for November 12 to 14. The campaign would focus not only on young children but also on post-partum and breastfeeding mothers who have given birth within eight weeks.

It said Ghana's maternal mortality remained high and the proportion of supervised deliveries although rising slowly was about 50 per cent. The statement said as part of the campaign, children under five would be given polio vaccine, provision of vitamin A supplement for children between six months to five years. Others are de-worming exercise for children between two to five years and vitamin A supplement for women within eight weeks after delivery. 11 Nov. 09