Medical Doctor ask parents to keep children under five years healthy

Accra, April 29, GNA - Dr. Isabella Sagoe-Moses, National Co-ordinator of Child Health at the Ghana Health Service, on Thursday expressed the need to keep children under five years healthy to prevent infant mortality and illness.

She said contribution towards child health improvement hover on interventions such as increase coverage of vaccination, provision of vitamin A, use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) and registration of births.

Dr. Sagoe-Moses made the call when she launched this year's Child Health Promotion Week in Accra, on the theme: "Men on Board for Healthier Children."

The week would afford care givers and service providers, unique opportunity to promote child health services in an integrated manner.

She announced that incidence of measles in Ghana had reduced from campaign initiative and since 2002 there had not been any reported cases of death while poliomyelitis cases had reduced between 2003 and 2008.

With regard to malaria, Dr Sagoe-Moses said the use of ITNs had minimised occurrence of the disease and reduction in child mortality.

Commenting on the theme, Dr Sagoe-Moses urged men to be supportive and discourage harmful practices and encourage appropriate practices that facilitate good health care.

She advised men to assist women during their ante-natal and post-natal care, registration of their children and completion of the immunisation cycle before their child's first birthday.

Dr Collins Oduro-Boatey, a medical practitioner said men should be involved in their children's health and growth and endeavour to register their children with the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Births and Deaths Registry.

He called for healthier environment in the communities for the growth of the children into adulthood.

Mr Kwaku Amoah, Registrar at Births and Deaths Registry said it was the fundamental right for every child to be registered to ensure their rights in society.

Mr Psalm Adjeteyfio, an actor appealed to men to assist women in the upbringing of their children and be responsible for a better and prosperous future.

GNA