SEND Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has appealed to government to provide a sustainable source of funding for immunization to augment the funds from foreign donors and eventual self financing.

“Foreign donors would exit from the co-financing agreement between them and the government in 2027,”
Mrs Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, Senior Programmes Officer, SEND Ghana said.

She was speaking at this year's World Immunization Week celebration programme at Tsokome in the Ga South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.

She said immunization was a very important health intervention, therefore government should make funds available for all immunization exercises after donors funds dry up.

Mrs Agyemang called on parents to take their children aged zero to two years to the health centres for immunisation and encouraged them to ensure their children received all the vaccines required for them to be healthy.

“Parents in their search of money abandon their children and do not dedicate time and efforts to immunize their children until they become ill,” she said.

The Programmes Manager of Women Gates Foundation, said the Tsokome community was chosen for the celebration to sensitise them on the importance of immunization since it had low coverage of immunization in the Ga South Municipality.

“The use drama of performances and post-natal exercise in the celebration would make community members understand the need for immunization,” he said.

Immunization Champion and Community Health Advocate, Mr Samuel Arthur, appealed to the chiefs, community members and the rich in the community to help make the local post-natal centre a suitable place for both nurses and visitors since the Assembly could not take the burden alone.

Ms Elizabeth Solomon, Public Health Nurse, Bortianor Polyclinic, explained that babies required thirteen vaccines before age two since they had been increased from six, and encouraged parents to ensure their babies had all of the vaccines to protect them against diseases.

“The vaccines work, we are strong today because we were immunized when we were babies by our parents, therefore we should do same for our children,” she added.

The World Immunization Week is celebrated annually during the last week of April as a global campaign to raise awareness on the importance of vaccines and immunisation in protecting peoples against vaccine preventable diseases.