Ghana’s Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency, Hon. Alexander Afenyo- Markin has made an urgent appeal for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B to be made free and accessible to Ghanaians in all communities across the country.
He noted that it is vital for the testing, diagnosis, vaccination and treatment of Hepatitis B to be enrolled into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make its treatment affordable or even free as done for other ailments including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Addressing participants at an event to commemorate the World Hepatitis B Day celebration at Winneba organized by Mumbies Foundation Ghana with support from the Effutu Municipal Assembly, Hon. Afenyo- Markin intimated that then Hepatitis B disease even though it is tretable is killing people mainly because of the cost of treatment.
Hon. Afenyo- Markin who sponsored the organization and celebration of the day by Mumbies Foundation urged Government to cover the treatment for hepatitis just as it I done for HIV patients to receive antiretroviral drugs free of charge to reduce morbidity and mortality in the country to the barest minimum with a strong focus on the rural folks.
Giving an overview of the Hepatitis B disease, the Medical Director at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Dr. George K. Prah gave an overview of Hepatitis B and said that is happens as a result of an inflammation of the liver that causes cardiac related p problems.
He noted that the disease is caused by the Hepatitis B Virus which is passed on from one person to another through blood, semen and other body fluids and emphasized the need for the Hepatitis B vaccination.
He announced that the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, through the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) and with technical support and guidance from the World Health Organization has developed national guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of viral hepatitis to launch the Free Treatment Viral Hepatitis.
According to him the dissemination of the guidelines has helped to improve the knowledge of heath care workers and bridge gaps in access to treatment.
He continued that the Government of Ghana, with support from the government of Egypt, WHO and other partners in March 2023 launched the “STOP HEPATITIS C Ghana Project” to among other things create awareness and provide free treatment about the Hepatitis C disease across all levels of care to all Ghanaians with active infection.
Present at the function were the Paramount Chief of the Effutu Trauma Area, Nenyi Ghartey VII who was the chairman for the occasion as well as the Effutu Municipal Assembly, Mr. Banini Dzorgbenyui Kwadwo. STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE -ISD
Last modified: August 1, 2023
