The access for better medicines for children , a
collaboration between the Ghana National Drug Programme(GNDP) of the Ministry
Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) with an aim to improve the
access to life saving medicines for children.
Latest statistics according to the UNICEF has shown that,
over 9 million children under five years old die each day meaning 1000 children
die every hour and more than half of these deaths are caused by diseases which could be treated with safe essential
child-specific medicines .
Research has also
shown that (17%) acute respiratory infections (pneumonia) and diarrhea diseases
respectively, (9%) neonatal severe infection ,(7%) infected with malaria and
(2%) with HIV/AIDS every year in Ghana ,about 81,000 children under five die of
preventable and treatable conditions such as infections, malnutrition and
neonatal conditions.
A decline in under 5 mortality
rate from 111/1000 live births in 2003 to 80/1000 live birth showed by the 2008
Ghana demographic and health survey
indicated that malaria ends to be the main causes of mortality rate in children
under five years recording 25%, malnutrition is associated with more than half
of death recording (53%).
The project which will improve access to child specific
medicines in the sector and their rational use and designed to tailored to fit
within the country perspective by close alignment with the child health policy
of Ghana.
World Health Organization representative in Ghana ,Dr. Daniel
Kertesz said, they are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Ghana on
this project and will particularly focus on the implementation of health
insurance and strengthening the food and drug board and look forward to achieve
these to ensure better Medicines for Children.
Mr. Benjamin Kumbour, Minister of Health said, the reduction
of child mortality is a global priority expressed in the millennium development
goals (goals four, five and six) and that Ghana has developed a child health
policy in 2007 with a goal to reduce mortality from 111 death per 1000 live
births in 2006 to death per 1000 live births by 2015.
He noted that, child specific medicines are those
manufactured to suit the age , physical condition and body weight of the child
taking them, is unsafe alternative to
mix pediatric formulations and heath care workers and parent often have no
alternative but to use fractions of adult dosage forms or prepare makeshift
prescriptions of medicines by crushing tablets or dissolving portions of
capsules in water ,thus affecting the manner in which these medicines must work
to perform the expected function and the outcome of the children taking these
medicines result in prolonged illnesses he cautioned.
He revealed that, the best form of delivering medicine to
children is through medicines that can be easily dissolved in water and
sprinkled on food are idea; and cheaper than liquid medicine which does require
refrigeration or difficult measuring.
On 6th December 2007’’Make Medicine Child Size” a
global campaign spearheads by WHO was launched to raise awareness and
accelerate action to address the need to improve availability and access to
safe child-specific medicine for children under 12 and received a grant from
bill and Mandela Gates foundation to improve upon medicines for children.
Ghana and Tanzania are the new African country to be
involved in the intensive phase of this project for the next 2 years.
He concluded by saying the ministry of heath will remain
committed to the development of the heath sector in the country to meet the
millennium development goal four ,five and six.
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