Ghana
Areas eligible for SMC and areas where SMC is implemented

Ghana (2021 SMC season) |
# of children targeted |
# of children reached |
Coverage |
Cycle 1 |
1,381,837 |
1,259,661 |
91% |
Cycle 2 |
1,381,837 |
1,328,667 |
96% |
Cycle 3 |
1,381,837 |
1,349,421 |
98% |
Cycle 4 |
904939 |
865474 |
96% |
Children receiving at least 4 cycles |
904939 |
765746 |
85% |
Data from the NMCP of Ghana
Monitoring of coverage completeness

- The team uses an electronic data collection application (SiCapp) to monitor coverage on daily basis
Monitoring for compliance
- Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) revisit household on days 2 and 3
Evaluating efficacy
- The team used case control studies to evaluate efficacy
Coverage survey
- Completed a coverage survey in February 2021.
Succeses
- Some volunteers moved very early in the morning or in the evening/night to dose children when caregivers were available
- Most volunteers and supervisors strictly follow the Covid-19 prevention protocols
- Any adverse drug reaction was immediately reported to the pharmacovigilance team and the affected child sent to the nearest health facility for prompt management
- A Chief in Pru East District supported the campaign by giving supervisors boats and canoes to help reach children everywhere in the district
Way forward
- Meet with RHDs of all eligible regions and plan for 2022 SMC
- Support IT unit to update SiCapp
- Continue discussions possible expansion (No. of rounds, age-group and geographical area)
- Procurement of adequate number of android tablets – to avoid tablet retrieval after each round
- Strengthen collaboration with neighbouring countries
Challenges
- Life jackets – more needed - OR and BER
- Inadequate number of vehicles; frequent breakdown of vehicles
- Network issues (data synchronization
- Medications for treatment of common ADRs are not available in some Health Centres (eg Hydrocortisone, ORS, Antihistamines)
- Volunteers – lower number of volunteers used by the districts leading to volunteer fatigue
- Missing/damaged android tablets and chargers
Proposed solutions
- Procure more life jackets
- Rent some vehicles to complement our fleet
- Trained CHVs to record data in offline mode and synchronize data when internet connectivity available
- Encourage all Regional Health Directorates to ensure that medicines for ADR treatment are available in all health centres during SMC
- Increase the number of CHV and/or daily allowances
- Sensitize CHVs on how to keep/handle the android tablets
Research priorities for 2021
- SMC coverage survey-Ongoing
- Conduct efficacy study on AQ and SP (including monitoring of molecularmarkers of resistance) (2023)
Partners
- Coverage survey - OPT-SMC
- Efficacy study: Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical research (University of Ghana)