Sunyani, (B/A) Aug. 31, GNA - Female athletes taking part in the on-going National Schools and Colleges Sports Festival in Sunyani are taking lectures on health education.

The programme under the code-name, "Franco/WOSPAG Health Educational Programme With Female Athletes", is being organised by Women Sports Association of Ghana (WOSPAG) in conjunction with the French Embassy at the festival villages at the Saint James Seminary/Secondary School at Abesim and Notre Dame Girls Secondary School at Fiapre, both near Sunyani. Dr. Kabiru Azees, a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast on Tuesday gave the first lecture to the female athletes based at Notre Dame School on "Hepatitis B as an infectious disease", and noted that the disease was the second most common cause of cancer problems worldwide.

He said so far there had not been any update of the statistics in Ghana in relation to how many people die through the disease but that sample information indicated that about 1000 people die of Hepatitis B related illnesses annually in the country.

On symptoms of the disease, the medical practitioner said its acute stage "start to manifest two weeks after infection through experiencing of slight fever and at times at the stage of jaundice".

Dr. Azees, an ear specialist and dentist said the disease was common in the world because of its mode of transmission and cautioned that it was even more dangerous than HIV in terms of its mortality rate.

On the mode of infection, Dr. Azees said carriers of the virus could cause the spread of the disease through urine, saliva,clothes, bedding and sexual contact.

He advised the students against self-medication, and stressed on the dangers inherent in the unnecessary use of painkillers such as paracetamol tablets, which he said could cause liver injury. Alhaj (Dr.) Mohammed Bin Ibrahim, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Health Service who spoke on "Attitudinal Change", said "attitude measures one's outstanding behaviour to justify one's position".

He noted that anybody who aspires to become a doctor would be measured by the depth of love or sympathy he or she would show to his or patients or clients. Alhaj Ibrahim listed five basic areas necessary for one to become a good leader.

He said these are Shared Vision, Personal Mastering, Mental Model, Team Learning and System Thinking as guiding principles that could lead one to achieve one's aim and objective in life.