A documentary on "Child Survival in Africa," aimed at highlighting affordable and practicable interventions to help children lead happy and healthy lives was launched on Wednesday.
The documentary gives an overview of child mortality and child survival across Africa and targets countries including Ghana, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and South Africa through drama.
Mr. George Ahadzie, Executive Director of Green Earth Organization, a non-governmental organization that promotes child development and environmental issues said that the documentary was a follow-up to a UNICEF report launched last year.
He said the report placed emphasis on pregnancy care, ante-natal and post-natal which when neglected resulted in maternal mortality and other problems that affected children directly or indirectly.
Mr. Ahadzie further explained that following the launch of UNICEF's report they commissioned the Television for Environment, based in the United Kingdom to produce six feature-films to be distributed throughout Africa and be used to inspire change.
Green Earth Organization is a partner of Television for Environment.
"The world has realized the importance of gender in development. But to address the gender gap, there is the urgent need to address some challenges in our societies. Just mainstreaming gender into our programmes is not enough, we must first address the challenges that create this imbalance."
He said the documentary had so far been filmed in nine African countries including Ghana using the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
Titles so far screened include: "Life in Slow Motion, 'Roofless,' 'Sharing Day' and 'The Letter the Children sent to God."
Mr Siddartha Shrestha, Programme Communication Specialist for UNICEF, emphasized the need for pregnant women to use insecticide treated nets and the importance of Iodated salt in every meal as well as attending regular ante-natal and post-natal clinics.