In a renewed push to close the immunization gap and combat preventable diseases in the Ho Municipality, the GOSANET Foundation has trained community health volunteers from 10 underserved communities to take the lead in health education and immunization outreach.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Mr. Samuel Yao Atidzah, aims to empower local volunteers to carry out door-to-door education, identify and track immunization defaulters, and facilitate community discussions to dispel vaccine misinformation.
Speaking during the one-day training workshop, Mr. Atidzah emphasized that long-term health improvements must be rooted in community ownership. “We believe that the lasting solution to our health challenges lies within our communities,” he noted.
Volunteers from Sokode Gborgame, Goshion City, Hodzo Aviefe, Hodzoga, Akoefe, Fiave, Tsiyikpota, Taviefe, Hofedo, and Sokode Lokoe were equipped with essential skills to support ongoing immunization campaigns and strengthen local health systems.
The initiative forms part of the GAVI CDS Year 3 Project, under the broader Community Immunization Support Initiative (CDS 3), funded by the World Bank and implemented in partnership with the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH). Initially launched in 2022 to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, the project now includes other key immunizations such as hepatitis B, yellow fever, cholera, HPV, and routine childhood vaccines.
Mr. Atidzah highlighted the project’s role in complementing the Ghana Health Service’s efforts to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases and mortality rates. He added that collaboration with traditional leaders and community-based organizations remains central to the project’s planning and success.
GOSANET Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to promoting health and development initiatives across the Volta Region, with this year’s CDS 3 intervention focusing on 10 targeted communities.
