UNICEF, DANIDA support Upper West to reduce child mortality

Wa, Sept. 20, GNA - UNICEF and the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA) have contributed a total of three million dollars towards the reduction of the high child mortality rate in the Upper West Region, Mr Ambrose Dery, the Regional Minister announced at Wa on Wednesday.

As part of this intervention, he said the first week of November this year would be used for a special child survival programme that would make sure all children under five years in the region are immunized against measles and polio and given vitamin "A" supplements without any financial cost to parents

According to Mr Dery, the region's goal of reducing the child mortality rate from 208 deaths per 1,000 live births to 104 per 1000 must be achieved by the end of next year and therefore called on parents and all stakeholders to collaborate for that ambition to be realized. The Regional Minister said this at the National children's day celebration in the region at Wa that had the theme, "violence and abuse against children and designing collective practical strategies to reduce the situation".

This year's celebration in the region was held at the Wa central lorry park with the main focus on street children, many whom are victims of the worst forms of violence against children and are also exposed to all forms of abuse on the streets. Mr Dery urged the street children, many of who dropped out of school to push trucks in order to earn their living, to avoid the use of narcotic and other hard drugs and aim at becoming responsible adults in future.

Some victims of child abuse gave accounts of their experiences and appealed to the authorities to organize non-formal classes for them at the lorry park so that they could use their leisure periods in the night to learn how to read and write.

While some of them said they dropped out of school because they could not cope with their studies, others said they failed to continue with their formal education because they were orphans who had nobody to look after them.

Mrs. Anagleta Naab, Acting Regional Director of the Department of Children, said the celebration of the event offered the opportunity to identify gaps in terms of the implementation and enforcement of policies, programmes and laws on children. It also served as a platform to find out areas of collaboration and networking with partner agencies and institutions for the promotion of the welfare of the Ghanaian child.