The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) and the International Pediatric Association (IPA) have begun the implementation of a project to increase advocacy and accelerate progress made in the country’s immunisation programme.

The IPA Advocacy Immunisation Champions and Policy Influence Project is aimed at strengthening vaccine confidence, policy support and sustainable financing.

Implemented in Nigeria, Indonesia, Angola, Ghana, Liberia and Mexico, the project, which runs in Ghana from October 2025 to September 2028, is also aimed at creating an enabling environment for the introduction of new vaccines, development of policies and achievement of high immunisation coverage across the country.

Project

Under the project, Ghana’s advocacy focus is on critical vaccines such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, the Hepatitis B birth dose, the malaria vaccine and the transition from MenA to the Men5CV (MenSCV) vaccine.

Activities under the project include stakeholder mapping and consultations, national and regional Immunisation Champions Workshops, annual experience-sharing forums and a high-level plenary at the IPA Congress in 2027.

At a two-day Immunisation Champions Workshop in Accra on Thursday, February 26, 32 champions, comprising medical officers, nurses and community volunteers, were trained to educate people about the importance of immunisation.

The workshop was on the theme: “Building Champions, Promoting Advocacy and Protecting Every Child”.

Champions

The President of the PSG, Dr Hilda Boye, said immunisation advocacy must be extended to community leaders, faith-based organisations and schools, ensuring that no child is left behind.

She said there were emerging threats such as vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and funding gaps, warning that declining coverage could reverse decades of progress.

“Diseases that once claimed countless young lives are now preventable because of sustained vaccination efforts,” she said.

Dr Boye said the project was structured to ensure that healthcare providers could, among others, recommend newer vaccines to parents and caregivers, support governments and partners in countering myths and misconceptions and work with policymakers at national and sub-national levels to guarantee that vaccines were accessible to all as part of the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Global support

The President of the IPA, Professor Joseph Haddad, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting child health and stated that the IPA has intensified engagement in Africa, organising similar advocacy workshops.

He expressed optimism that the project would equip participants with practical ideas to overcome the challenges and strengthen national programmes.

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, reaffirmed the government’s support for immunisation advocacy and preventive healthcare, and said the project was timely and strategic to strengthen vaccine advocacy across the country.

In a speech read on his behalf, he commended the PSG and IPA for the project and development partners for supporting the country’s EPI.

Stating the country’s achievements, he said coverage for the third dose of the Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP3) vaccine has risen from the 90 per cent range in the early 2010s to between 97 and 99 per cent in recent years, while measles vaccination coverage has remained high despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Minister warned that such gains must not lead to complacency, particularly as the country prepares to transition from donor-supported immunisation to full national ownership. 

Advocacy

In a speech read on her behalf, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Ghana, Dr Fiona Braka, said the country’s immunisation programme was one of the best performing in the WHO African Region, with coverage consistently exceeding 90 per cent for most antigens.

She expressed WHO’s commitment to continue to provide technical support, evidence and advocacy