Accra: Health experts have urged Ghanaians to undergo hepatitis screening, receive vaccination where eligible, and seek early treatment to support efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. They emphasized that expanding early diagnosis, prevention, and access to treatment would be critical to reducing hepatitis-related illness and deaths in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the experts made the call during the 2026 World Hepatitis Day celebration organized by the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service in Accra. Professor Promise Emmanuel Safogah, Consultant Obstetrician-Gynaecologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, highlighted that hepatitis B affects about 12.3 percent of the population and up to 14 percent of pregnant women in Ghana. He noted the disease often progresses without symptoms, making routine screening and vaccination essential for early detection and prevention.
Prof Safogah advocated for the nationwide introduction of the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine to reduce mother-to-child transmission and appealed for hepatitis B immunoglobulin to be covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme to improve access for pregnant women. He urged the Government and stakeholders to strengthen public education, promote completion of the three-dose hepatitis B vaccination schedule, and remove financial barriers to hepatitis prevention and treatment.
Dr Salome Bando, Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist, described hepatitis B and C as 'silent killers' because they frequently remain undetected until serious liver damage has occurred. She stated that untreated hepatitis B and C could lead to chronic disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Dr Bando noted that Ghana is a high-burden country, with an estimated eight to 12 percent of the population living with chronic hepatitis B and between three and six percent living with hepatitis C.
Dr Bando urged the public to reject the stigma associated with the disease and encouraged people to know their hepatitis status, receive vaccination if they test negative, and enroll in care if they test positive. She mentioned that hepatitis B vaccination is available free of charge for children under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, while hepatitis C treatment is provided free under the Ministry of Health's Stop Hepatitis C Programme with support from the Government of Egypt.
Dr Robert Amesiya, Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, stated that eliminating viral hepatitis requires coordinated action by government, healthcare providers, traditional authorities, religious leaders, and communities. He expressed concern that fewer than one percent of Ghanaians knew their hepatitis status and urged the public to undergo testing and vaccination where necessary.
Dr Amesiya reported that the Government is progressing towards introducing the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine nationwide and called on healthcare workers to make hepatitis screening part of routine healthcare delivery. Nii Kwatei Owoo I, Chief of Kampise, representing Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, pledged the support of traditional leaders for public education and community mobilization to encourage hepatitis testing, treatment, and prevention.
Participants at the event also appealed for regular health screening and greater public awareness to improve early diagnosis and reduce new infections.