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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2002
Ghana Launches National Child Health Program to Improve
Home-Based Care for Childhood Illnesses
First Phase Designed to Save Lives of Children Infected with Malaria BALTIMORE—The Government of Ghana this week began a major, multi-year initiative to improve the health of Ghanaian children by upgrading home-based care for common childhood illnesses. The first phase of the initiative, the national “Home-based Care for Malaria” program, was launched on May 22 by the Director-General of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Agyeman Badu Akosa.
Malaria is the reason for almost half of all outpatient visits and over one-third of all in-patients at GHS facilities. The disease is the cause of one of every five deaths in children under age five. The high death rate from malaria is due to a number of factors, but chief among them is improper or incomplete treatment. About three-quarters of malaria cases in Ghana are treated at home or in the community, yet only 22 percent of current home-based treatments are correct and complete.
The GHS along with the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) programs are implementing the “Home-based Care” child health initiative with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) is providing technical assistance.
The first phase of the initiative aims to increase the ability of mothers and caretakers to correctly and completely treat malaria in children younger than five years by:
- Recognizing fever as a symptom of malaria,
- Giving a full three-day course of chloroquine at the appropriate dose,
- Recognizing signs of severe malaria (such as fever that lasts for more than two days despite treatment, convulsions, copious vomiting, difficulty breathing, stiff neck, excessive sleepiness, and dark-colored urine) that require immediate referral to a health facility, and
- Getting a child with any severe signs of malaria immediately to the nearest health facility.
Television and radio spots, print materials, and community-based activities are components of the “Home-based Care for Malaria” program, as well as the popular “HE HA HO” (Healthier, Happier, Home) radio drama and magazine show in Ghana. During the first phase of the initiative, these components will work together to send messages to mothers and caretakers informing them how to appropriately care for children with malaria.
The television, radio and print media are all popular and powerful channels for communication and will therefore ensure that this program reaches the target groups,” said Akosa. “It is important to note, however, that person-to-person communication is also an integral part of this program. Educational activities will take place in our communities, at our health centers, outreach points, outpatient departments, and chemical and pharmacy shops. The mass media and print materials are designed to support these community activities.”
JHU/CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health communications. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences.
For more information contact: Kim Martin at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Tel: 410 659-6140; Fax: 410 659-6266 e-mail: press@jhuccp.org. PRESS ROOM: http://www.jhuccp.org/pressroom/
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