Ghana's integrated child health campaign aimed at reducing under-five mortality rate by two-thirds by the year 2015 is expected to start from November, the Ghana News Agency reported on Wednesday

The five-day campaign, combining measles and polio immunization, administering of vitamin A and distributing 2.1 million free Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to children under-two is expected to boost the survival of millions of children.

At a press briefing in Ghana's capital of Accra, Acting Director General of the Ghana Health Service, George Amofa said one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals was to reduce under-five mortality from 132 per 1,000 births to 42 per 1, 000 birth by 2015 and expressed the hope that the campaign would impact positively on the reduction of under-five mortality.

He said it was gratifying to note that there had not been any reported death due to measles since 2003.This was made possible after a successful mass immunization campaign in 2002.

Amofa noted that this was the first time the country was embarking on a nationwide distribution of free ITNs to all children under two and warned against the temptation of diverting them. He said the nets were specially branded and not for sale.

The acting director general said the campaign presented an enormous challenge but also an opportunity to improve the health and well being of children.

Source: Xinhua