Hepatitis B infection increases in Western Region
The Western Regional branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has instituted a programme to offer free Hepatitis B screening for communities in the region following more reported cases of the disease in the region.
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According to health officials, the disease is the third leading cause of death among males, who were admitted to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital. They said between 2012 and 2013, the rate of infection in the region rose from 12 per cent of deaths to 15 per cent.
To commemorate this year’s World Hepatitis B Day, the society held a screening programme for residents of Apowa in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis in the Western Region.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chairman of the Western Regional Pharmaceutical Council, Mr Kwadwo Okyere-Apenteng, called on the government and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to include screening and vaccination drugs for the disease under the scheme.
He said it was about time the disease was given the same attention as HIV/AIDS and malaria, as it was claiming a lot of innocent lives, stressing that “We need to generate the necessary awareness to educate all stakeholders on the effects and even the economic implications the disease is having on us”.
He said hepatitis B was a global health concern and that the country ought to wake up from its slumber and confront the disease head on.
The Head of Medicine at the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, Dr Richard Anthony, who provided free consultation to beneficiaries of the health screening, said there was the need for a holistic effort from all stakeholders to fight the disease.
He said effective measures must be put in place to halt and reverse the rate of infection in order to improve upon the general well-being of the Ghanaian.
