The Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency, Hon. Alexander Afenyo- Markin, has committed an amount of One Million Ghana cedis (Ghc1million) to support Mumbies Foundation, a non-governmental organization, to fight Hepatitis B within the Effutu enclave.
Hon. Afenyo Markin who doubles as the Deputy Majority Leader of Ghana’s 8th Parliament made the commitment with a presentation of a cheque of Ghc1million on Friday, September 22, 2023 at the launch of a project dubbed Hepa Guard under the theme “Safeguarding Liver, Empowering Lives” at Winneba.
The project which is solely funded by the Effutu Member of Parliament is aimed at protecting liver health, raising awareness, and making a lasting impression in the Effutu Municipality and beyond.
Under the project, Mumbies Foundation would collaborate with the Ghana Health Service in Effutu to undertake sensitization, free testing and vaccination exercises for all residents living in the Effutu Municipality at no charge.
Presenting the Cheque of Ghc 1million on behalf of the Effutu Member of Parliament, the Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu, Hon. Alhaji Zubairu Kassim, noted that Hon. Afenyo-Markin who places premium on the health of his constituents was alarmed by the rate of ascendency of the Hepatitis B Virus in the Municipality.
According to him, out of 2106 individuals screened for the disease, 68 pregnant women, 148 children and 189 youth tested positive, a situation he said called for serious concern with urgent attention by all well-meaning citizens of Effutu.
Lamenting on the dangers associated with the disease, Hon. Zubairu Kassim intimated that Hepatitis B was a silent epidemic affecting communities in Ghana and the world, with the Effutu enclave being the recent spot.
He said that the partnership between the hardworking Member of Parliament and Mumbies Foundation, using the Hepa Guard project will go a long way to change that narrative as the group is set and well-resourced to embark on a rigorous sensitization, free testing and vaccination exercise starting from September 2023 to December 2024.
Hon Alhaji Zubairu Kassim pledged on behalf of the Effutu Municipal Assembly to support the project by commissioning the Information Services Department in the Assembly to undertake series of public education campaigns by touring the towns and villages in the Municipality to create awareness of the impending exercise.
The Project Manager and Founder of Mumbies Foundation, Mr. Israel Adorbley, who received the cheque indicated that Hon. Afenyo -Markin has since the inception of the Foundation been instrumental in sensitizing the residents in the Municipality about Hepatitis B and has also agitated strongly for the inclusion of the disease in the National Health Insurance Scheme to help in the free testing and vaccination of persons after testing.
On his part, the Medical Director at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Dr. George K. Prah, noted that Hepatitis B occurs as a result of an inflammation of the liver that causes cardiac related 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.
Dr. Prah showered praises on the Effutu Member of Parliament for committing to supporting quality healthcare delivery in the Municipality at all times when called upon for that purpose.
He said that the amount donated by the Effutu MP will go a long way to help fight the disease in the area as well as eradicate its prevalence and spread in the Municipality.
STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE -ISD
Last modified: September 22, 2023
