In observance of World Hepatitis Day, commemorated on July 28 each year, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has called for action under the theme “It’s Time for Action.”
The service urged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics and deliver in hospitals.
Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, Programme Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), highlighted Ghana’s significant burden of hepatitis B and C infections.
Despite this, he noted that awareness of the disease remains low, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and preventive measures.
As of 2022, approximately 2.8 million people in Ghana are living with hepatitis B.
However, Dr. Amponsah-Achiano noted that the introduction of vaccines for children under one-year-old has helped reduce new infections.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health, GHS, and partners are working on introducing a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine to further reduce disease prevalence.
This initiative is crucial as hepatitis B prevalence is particularly high among pregnant women.
Dr. Amponsah-Achiano urged pregnant women to deliver in hospitals to ensure their children benefit from the new birth dose.
He described this as a significant step forward in combating hepatitis B, as the birth dose could greatly reduce new infections and save lives.
Dr. Amponsah-Achiano also stressed the importance of getting tested to know one’s status, as this is crucial in the fight against hepatitis B.
He highlighted that vaccination is an effective preventive measure and that those who test positive should seek medical treatment to manage the disease.
He believes that collective support for this initiative can make hepatitis B a thing of the past.
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Source: Abrefi Agyemang