The Hepatitis Society of Ghana (HEPSOG) has held a free screening and counselling sessions for residents of Tamale on Hepatitis B and C as part of activities to mark this year’s World Hepatitis Day.

Mr Stephen Corquaye, Member of HEPSOG, said the event was also to create awareness on the disease, encourage people to get tested and seek medical advice on vaccination or treatment after the test.

World Hepatitis Day is marked every year on July 28, in honour of the birthday of Nobel Laureate Professor Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus and developer of the first hepatitis B vaccine.

This year’s event was being marked in the country on the theme: “Prevent Hepatitis, Act Now.”

Viral hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, which cause acute and chronic liver disease, which kills people but could be prevented.

Mr Corquaye said some of the ways of transmitting hepatitis B and C, include mother to child transmissions at birth, and use of contaminated cutting items.

He said hepatitis B and C are not spread through kissing, sweat, sharing of cutlery, towels, sponges, clothes, or lying on the same bed and bathing in the same bathroom.

He said: “The positive issue about prevention of hepatitis B and C is the availability in Ghana of an effective safe vaccine for hepatitis B and an effective treatment to cure hepatitis C.”

Mr Corquaye said HEPSOG would concentrate its activities in the Northern Region this year to ensure increased awareness about the disease.