World Hepatitis Day launched

The country is experiencing a growing burden of hepatitis infections and mortalities coupled with very low rates of diagnosis, treatment and awareness.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) said due to testing hesitancy, only 10 per cent of people with chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) were diagnosed, of which only 22 per cent received treatment.

“For Hepatitis C, only 21 per cent of people with the infection are diagnosed, with 62 per cent of those diagnosed receiving treatment to cure them.

Launching this year’s World Hepatitis Day Commemoration in Accra on Tuesday, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said everyone was vulnerable to viral hepatitis and, therefore, called on all to get tested.

He said that would enable the country to realise its target to diagnose 90 per cent of Hepatitis B and C cases and put at least 80 per cent on treatment to help nip the growing burden in the bud.

The Director-General said some hepatitis infections were curable while others were only suppressible to enable an infected person to live a normal life.

That, Dr Kuma-Aboagye said, meant that the condition was not a death sentence if picked early and put on treatment. 

Instituted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the commemoration is climaxed every July 28 to raise awareness of the condition to lower prevalence and enhance access to testing and treatment.

This year’s commemoration is on the global and local theme, “One life, one liver”, representing the call to action for people to protect their livers through healthy lifestyles.

July 28 has been chosen as WHD because it is the birthday of Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis ‘B virus in 1967 and developed the first hepatitis ‘B vaccine two years later.

Activities lined up ahead of the day included free screening across the country and some public sensitisation forums nationwide.

“There are effective tools available to prevent viral hepatitis infection, which include hepatitis B vaccination, surveillance, education, screening, practising safe sex and treatment,” he said.

Interventions

Dr Kuma-Aboagye said interventions put in place to address the growing hepatitis prevalence locally included collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the Global Fund to implement a triple elimination of Hepatitis B, along with HIV and Syphilis.

“The antenatal service package will be expanded to include testing pregnant women for HBV, with the necessary treatment offered to those needing it.

We are also, as a country, working feverishly towards “meeting the conditions for benefiting from the significant reduction in the prices of some of the medications on the global market, used for the treatment of Hepatitis B and C.

“Similarly, efforts are being made to enhance the national capacity to offer the needed Hepatitis B and C tests at affordable prices and decentralise hepatitis care to increase access to testing and treatment, including ensuring all pregnant women living with chronic HBV had access to treatment, while all infants received Hepatitis B birth vaccines within 24 hours of birth to prevent infection.

“Recent maternal Hepatitis B survey has yielded concrete results to inform decisions on HBV birth dose, and very soon, HBV birth dose will be introduced,” he said.

Hepatitis 

Several distinct infections are collectively referred to as viral hepatitis and it denotes liver inflammation primarily caused by hepatotropic viruses, resulting in similar clinical presentations.

Viral hepatitis virus is found in blood and certain bodily fluids.

It is spread when a person who is not immune comes in contact with blood or body fluids from an infected person.

Five hepatitis viruses have been identified.

These are Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

Writer’s email: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh