‘Rap Dacta’ back on Hepatitis trail
For the past five years, Hiplife artiste, Okyeame Kwame, has been sensitising people about the deadly disease, Hepatitis B, now he wants to do more: help people fight off the disease by including immunisation in this year’s programme.
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Under the Okyeame Kwame Foundation and in collaboration with MDS Lancet Laboratories, the programme screens and educates over a thousand (1,000) people annually and the revelations at those programmes are quite worrying.
“So far, we have screened about 5,600 people. Despite the efforts put in, it has been detected that the prevalence rate is still 15 per cent and that is not good enough.
“Technically, it means the programme of educating and sensitising has not been successful so there is the need to review what goes into the programme”, Okyeame Kwame told Showbiz last Wednesday.
According to the multiaward winner, “this year, we want to bring Hepatitis B down to its knees so we are moving from just creating awareness to helping solve the problem by giving free vaccine so that the 85 percent who are usually negative do not drift back into the risk zone.
“ And as we always do, we will advise those who are positive to seek medical attention at the district or central hospitals we collaborate with in their areas.
“ July 28 is World Hepatitis Day which falls on a Monday so we will have our event on July 26 which is a Saturday. It will be held at the Mantse Agbonaa in Accra.
“ The train will then move to Ho later on in the year. We will also revisit Kumasi before the year ends”, he added.
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Asked how they can be sure those given the vaccine at the event will follow through with subsequent boosters, the Woara hitmaker said, “we will collect their data such as phone numbers, addresses, where they live among others. We will communicate with them when it is due for the booster so they go to any MDS Lancet depot near them for it. We will do same for the third shot too,” he said.
While Okyeame Kwame is willing to make an impact, he says it is not easy funding the cause. “ This year, screening and administering the vaccine will cost about GH¢100,000.00. So far, we have raised half of the amount with help from the MTN Ghana Foundation, Japan Motors and Viasat 1.
“ We still have some more money to raise and people can help realise that by texting ‘Hep B’ to short code 1413 to all networks. It will cost 30 pesewas and texters will get information about the disease while supporting a worthy cause.
“ Also, as part of activities to raise funds, we are organising an event dubbed Celebrity Car Wash at the Car Spa located at Adjiriganor, East Legon, on July 20. There will be live music, games, among others,” he said.
Da Rap Dacta urges all to get tested for Hepatitis B. “There is no cure for Hepatitis B and the medication for treatment is very costly. One out of every six Ghanaian is exposed to the virus so I urge people to get screened and get the vacine to prevent getting infected.
Moving away from his Hepatitis B project, Okyeame Kwame said, “I will become a musician again after this project. I will focus more on my career because I have plans for the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards next year.
“ It is my aim to win the Artiste of the Year award again so I need to release about three singles before the year ends. That is what I want to achieve next year,” he added.