By Mavis Offei Acheampong
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and its partners have launched the ‘Stop Hepatitis C’ Ghana project to enroll Hepatitis C patients for free treatment and care. The project is in support of the global hepatitis elimination effort.
Under the project, the government of Egypt has donated fifty thousand DAA drugs to treat and care for Hepatitis C patients for free. Designated health centres have received a consignment for screening and treatment as the disease requires specialized care.
The Hepatitis C virus is a blood-borne virus. The most common modes of infection are through exposure to small quantities of blood and sexual practices that lead to blood exposure. Hepatitis C can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis.
70% of persons infected will develop chronic HCV infection. Health experts say new HCV infections are usually asymptomatic, and significant numbers of those who are chronically infected develop liver cancers.
The only way out is the Antiviral medicines that can cure more than 95% of persons with Hepatitis C infection. However, access to diagnosis and treatment is low. For this reason the ‘Stop Hepatitis C’ Ghana Project has been launched with support from the Government of Egypt to provide free treatment and care to persons suffering from Hepatitis C and help eliminate hepatitis in Ghana.
There is currently no effective vaccine against hepatitis C. But early diagnosis can prevent the health problems that may result from infections and prevent transmission of the virus. The Ambassador of Egypt to the United States Motaz Zahran Egypt Ambassador to the United States said Ghana is the first African Country to benefit from the first shipment of a half (1/2) tone of medicines to treat hepatitis C under the One hundred million health Presidential initiative to eradicate Hepatits C and viral disease by Egypt under the framework of the Africa Union Agenda.
He said the support is as a result of a promise made by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2020 to treat one million African Citizens for Hepatitis C in 18 African Sub Region to eliminate viral disease (Hepatitis C) under the framework of the African Union agenda.
The Director of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye expressed the government of Ghana’s appreciation to the Government of Egypt for the support to eliminate hepatitis in Ghana.
The Deputy Health Minister Mahama Asei Seini said the project seeks to identify and link 50 thousand Ghanaian HCV patients to care with donated DAA medicines from the Government of
Egypt. He called on all to come out and test to know their Hepatitis status. Over 18 health centres will be selected for the free screening and testing exercise under the ‘Stop Hep C-Ghana Project.”
Development partners commended the Government of Egypt for the timely intervention to help prevent hepatitis C in Ghana. The project will have 50% of the eligible population screened, 90% of identified HCV patients linked to care and 95% of patients initiating treatment. The Ghana Health Service was presented with the drugs for the free treatment and care for the stop Hepatitis C Project.
