The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has assessed Ghana’s response to viral hepatitis through engagements with selected health facilities in the Greater Accra Region.
The three-day assessment, led by the Head of Infectious Diseases at Africa CDC, Dr Serge Batcho, focused on progress made in Ghana’s hepatitis response, challenges affecting service delivery and opportunities to strengthen prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and patient follow-up.
The team visited the 37 Military Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Adabraka Polyclinic and Kaneshie Polyclinic, where it engaged healthcare workers on the delivery of hepatitis services.
At the 37 Military Hospital, the team interacted with the Head of Public Health, Naval Captain Harriet Manu, and her team on screening and management of viral hepatitis. Discussions highlighted the need to integrate hepatitis services into existing health programmes and strengthen collaboration with the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme.
The engagements also identified capacity building for healthcare workers as a key priority. Participants stressed the need for continuous training in hepatitis prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, counselling and patient follow-up.
Programme Manager of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, Dr Gerald Adiiboka, said efforts were underway to expand access to hepatitis C treatment through decentralisation and integration of hepatitis services into existing health facilities.
At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, the team met the Head of the Antiretroviral Therapy Unit, Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe, and hospital management. The facility highlighted the integration of hepatitis services with existing HIV programmes but raised concerns about delays in obtaining viral load test results because samples are sent to a central laboratory.
The team subsequently engaged health workers at Adabraka and Kaneshie Polyclinics on screening, referrals, linkage to care and capacity-building needs.
At the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Consultant Gastroenterologist and Head of Internal Medicine, Dr Amoako Duah, said the facility continues to manage patients with hepatitis B and C, but the cost of investigations and medication remains a major barrier to treatment and follow-up.
He noted that some hepatitis-related laboratory services and medicines are not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), making treatment difficult for some patients.
Dr Duah called for increased support for hepatitis testing, affordable medicines and public education on prevention and early detection. He also advocated consideration of hepatitis B screening for students before they enter school and welcomed the introduction of the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine as an important prevention measure.
Dr Batcho said the assessment was intended to learn from existing programmes and facility-level experiences while identifying practical interventions that could be sustained within Ghana’s health system.
He said the findings would help Africa CDC identify areas where additional support could strengthen Ghana’s response to hepatitis B and C.