GASLIDD marks 2023 World Hepatitis Day with urgent call for early screening

The Ghana Association for the Study of Liver and Digestive Diseases (GASLIDD) marked the 2023 World Hepatitis Day by emphasising the importance of early screening and treatment.

During a free Hepatitis B & C screening and vaccination event at the Tudu community in Accra on Thursday, a Gastroenterologist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the Deputy Treasurer of GASLIDD, Dr Sally Afua Bampoh, stated that timely screening and treatment for hepatitis B and C played a vital role in preventing chronic diseases such as liver cancer.
Dr Bampoh highlighted that a substantial 80 per cent of liver cancer cases were attributed to hepatitis B, making it a major contributor to this form of cancer.
She said constant health screening was essential to reduce the prevalence of hepatitis B, ultimately leading to a decrease in liver cancer cases.
Dr Bampoh noted that although it might take a while to notice, the prevalence of hepatitis in Ghana was alarmingly high, surpassing eight per cent and classifying the country as hyperendemic.
She pointed out that one in every eight Ghanaians was affected by hepatitis B, while one in every 30 Ghanaians had hepatitis C, equating to prevalence rates of 12.8 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively.
To combat the prevalence of the virus, Dr Bampoh added that GASLIDD had initiated an initiative to screen, vaccinate and educate residents within the Tudu community and its surroundings about the risks, transmission and treatment of the virus.
On the theme "One Life, One Liver", the screening event, held to commemorate World Hepatitis Day, aimed to screen 1,000 members of the public and provide vaccinations for approximately 600 individuals.
Dr Bampoh expressed her appreciation for the cooperation of programme beneficiaries and extended gratitude to the Member of Parliament (MP) of the area, Dr Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, the Assemblyman for the Tudu electoral area and the Municipal Assembly for their support of the programme.

She indicated that GASLIDD would persist in public education efforts regarding the virus and encouraged everyone to undergo screening and vaccination.