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Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the factors that influence the utilization of the successive doses of polio and pentavalent vaccines among underfive children in Ghana. Method: The study used data from a cross-sectional survey in the form of the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey which was carried out between early September and mid-December, 2014. The Probit model was the empirical estimation technique. Results: Among other findings, the study revealed that the region of residence influenced the utilization of the initial and successive doses of both polio and pentavalent vaccines. Also, rising birth order of the child was revealed to negatively influence the utilization of all the doses of the polio and pentavalent vaccines. In addition, rising age of the household head was found to decrease the utilization of the third dose of the polio vaccine and the second and third doses of the pentavalent vaccine. Single mothers were also revealed to be less likely to utilize the third dose of both vaccines for their children. Moreover, employed mothers were found to be more likely to utilize all the subsequent doses of both the pentavalent and polio vaccines for their children while mothers with secondary education were more likely to utilize both the second and third doses of the polio vaccine as well as the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine for their children as compared with their uneducated counterparts. Conclusion:The study therefore concludes that public sensitization programs on childhood immunization with regional focus and ethnic rulers' partnerships, targeting of older household heads, uneducated, unemployed, and single mothers as well as women empowerment through employment and education are effective tools in ensuring Child health utilization (immunization) in Ghana. ARTICLE HISTORY

The mortality of children which has pneumonia and diarrhoea as some of its major causes remains a major concern for all countries of which Ghana is no exception. Ghana's current child mortality rate is far above the sustainable development goal 3.2. However, given that vaccination is one of the most effective ways of preventing childhood diseases, it was surprising that, the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey (GDHS) report showed a falling up-take or coverage in the successive doses of the pneumococcal (pneumonia vaccine) and rotavirus (diarrhoea vaccine) vaccines among children in Ghana. This study therefore using data from the children's recode file of the 2014 GDHS, investigated the determinants of demand for subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for children in Ghana by employing the binary probit model. The study among other findings revealed that, unemployed mothers were less likely to demand for the subsequent and initial doses of both the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for their children. Also male household heads were revealed to be less likely to demand for all the doses of the rotavirus vaccines for children. In addition, single mothers were also revealed to be less likely to demand for all the subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines. Therefore targeting unemployed and single mothers as well as women empowerment through job opportunities coupled with public education, especially of household heads, would serve as effective tools in tackling the falling demand for subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for children in Ghana.

Malaria and Pneumonia are major killers of children underfive. However, fever and cough are major signs of Malaria and Pneumonia respectively and hence making proper management of fever and cough indispensable in the fight against underfive mortality. This study therefore investigated the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) as the main source of data. By employing the multinomial probit model, the study found that urban children, children with higher birth rank, older children, children from the Ga/Dangme, Akan, MoleDagbani, Ewe, Mande and Gurma ethnicity and children of mothers with big problems with regards to permission and distance to seek self-medical care were more likely to be given self-medication or to be sent to a traditional practitioner initially for fever or cough. Contrary, mothers with health insurance, aging mothers and wealthy households were less likely to first resort to self-medication or a traditional practitioner in order to seek care for children with fever or cough. The study therefore concludes that ethnicity, residence, permission and distance to seek medical care by mother, mother's health insurance, household wealth, child's age, mother's age and birth order are the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana.

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