AKATSI NORTH HEALTH DIRECTORATE CALLS FOR ATTENTION TO CHILD HEALTH

The Akatsi North District Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Mr. Timothy Mahama Awentok, has advised parents to prioritize the health need of their children under five years.

He described that stage of children’s life as crucial, and said they deserved the best health investment.

“Suffice me to say that there can be no meaningful investment in the growth and upbringing of children than investing in their health,” he noted.

Mr. Awentok said this at the launch of the 2025 Child Health Promotion and the African Vaccination held at Afiadenyigba, a Sub-district in the Akatsi North District.
The launch was on the theme: “Every child deserves a healthy future, invest in your child. Attend weighing regularly.”

Mr. Awentok said the GHS prioritized the healthy growth of children under five, and therefore, collaborated with partners and stakeholders to ensure that every child born alive, lived to celebrate their fifth birthday and beyond in good health.

On line-up activities for the weeklong event, the Director mentioned free birth registration, education of mothers on proper and exclusive breastfeeding, the importance of sleeping under Insecticide Treated Net (ITN), administration of vitamin ‘A’ supplements, weighing and immunization services.

Mr. Awentok said childhood immunization was the most effective measure of providing immunity to children which prevented them from childhood infections and other preventable diseases.

“We currently administer about 14 antigens at various stages and groups of children under five years, and this has contributed to a reduction in children under five mortalities over a period of five years,” he said.

The Director urged parents to consciously concentrate on the nutrition of their children under five, noting that it was a well known fact that the period was the most vulnerable and critical years in terms of growth and proper development.

“Our mothers make time for nutrition, counselling, breastfeeding intervention and vitamin ‘A’ supplementation all aimed at prompting the healthy growth of their children,” he said.

Mr. Awentok appealed to mothers and caregivers to make time to patronize other services including Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) activities.