Ghana News

Strengthening presence in countries for strategic support to effective national health systems and service - EPI component

Rationale and justification

Major challenges:

• Sustain the reduction in morbidity and mortality of vaccine preventable diseases
• Stagnating immunization coverage for vaccine preventable diseases
• Poor access to, and quality of immunization and surveillance activities in priority districts and sub-districts.

Vision of country office:

The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr. Joaquim Saweka has presented a Certificate of Recognition to Mr. Samuel K. Hagan for being adjudged the Best Worker for 2006. Dr. Saweka made the presentation at a WCO staff new year lunch promoted by the Staff Association on Friday 1, February 2008. The day will go into the annals of the WHO Country Office as a memorable one since it is the first time a staff has been honored for meritorious service to the Organization.

The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr. Joaquim Saweka has emphasized that Traditional leaders, especially Chiefs and their Elders have a major responsibility as partners in the dissemination of health information in their communities. Dr. Saweka said the position of chiefs in the traditional set up in Ghana, as he has observed, makes Chiefs potential instruments for effective dissemination of important health information among the rural folks majority of whom do not have access to health information through modern technology.

4 MAY 2007 | ACCRA -- The Government of Ghana has advised its citizens to remain calm in the wake of the detection of the first case of bird Flu in Ghana. The outbreak of the H5N1 virus was confirmed last Tuesday after it was detected on a small scale poultry farm near the port city of Tema at the weekend.

A national survey on the prevalence and social consequences of the substance use among second cycle and out of school youth

Drug abuse has become a global phenomenon affecting almost every country though the extent and characteristics vary depending on the country in question. The most commonly used and abused substances are cigarettes, cannabis, cocaine and alcohol. Alcohol and other related problems are becoming more and more a public health concern and they represent one of the leading causes of preventable death, illness and injury.

In response to the escalating public health problems related to the harmful use of alcohol and other psychoactive substance, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) has begun a project using the WHO tool called ASSIST-Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test- for detection and early intervention for psychoactive substance users.

The Head of State and President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufour at the weekend shared moments of joy with the WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr. Joaquim Saweka at the grand durbar of the chiefs and people of Mamfe in Akwapim Traditional Area of the Eastern Region. The two personalities joined the people of Mamfe Akwapim to climax their Annual Ohum festival on Saturday 26 January 2008. 

Accra, 25 July 2005 -- The Honorable Minster of Health of Ghana, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashigah today said that for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other agreed national and international goals, Africa will need to adopt a paradigm shift to focus more on health promotion.

"This is because most of the determinants of health lie outside the traditional boundaries of the health sector; and improving health will require actions that are multi-sectoral as well as intersectoral", he said.

Accra, 16 February 2016 – WHO has deployed a team of four members to work with the Ministry of Health in Ghana and Ghana Health Service to confirm through serotyping the bacterial type of meningitis causing the outbreak in the country. This follows reports of meningitis outbreak in a number of districts in Ghana with streptococcus pneumoniae being the bacteria identified in many cases.

(Bolgatanga, Ghana, 5 May, 2014) - The Honourable Minister for Health, Ms Sherry Ayittey launched the 10th anniversary of  the Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW) on Friday May 2, 2014 at The Jubilee Park, at Bolgatanga, the regional capital of the Upper East Region. The week is being observed concurrently with the 4th African Vaccination Week. A colourful crowd of traditional rulers and a cross-section of the public was in   attendance.