UDS medical students calls for support to end Child Mortality

The President of the University for Development Studies Medical Students Association, Osei- Dwono Achempong has called on stakeholders and the public to support to end child mortality in the Northern region and the country as a whole. He said though a lot has been done, the medical students association thinks more efforts needs put in place to reduce child mortality to be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) in the country. Mr. Osei- Dwono Achempong made this call at the launch of the 10th annual health week celebration under the theme; Save a child, Save a future. Ghana has made relatively "slow progress in improving child and maternal health. Between 1990 and 2011the under-five mortality rate decreased by 36 percent, which was insufficient to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 of 66 percent in 2015. Although there has been some improvement, mothers and children are still dying from preventable disease and causes. According to Ghana Health Service Figures, the rate for the entire nation was 80 deaths per 1,000 in 2008. But the Central, Northern, and Upper West regions experienced much higher rates with 108, 137 and 142 respective deaths per every 1,000 births. As part of the health week celebration, the medical students are to engage in outreaches program in some selected districts to create the awareness on child mortality as well as challenges of malnourished children. The medical students will also educate people in rural communities in the northern region on child Malaria prevention, Diarrhea, children with HIV and AIDS, Malnutrition and Cholera prevention. Osei-Dwono Achempong also appealed to stakeholders and NGO's to support the association with funds to enable them run their activities in the rural areas, since is capital intensive.

Source:Rahamatu Alhassan