Ghana joins others in the continent today, Wednesday,28th July 2021 to observe World Hepatitis Day.
This year’s theme, “Hepatitis Can’t-Wait” emphasizes the importance of early testing, treatment, and prevention of the disease even amid the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate it as a public health threat by 2030.
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is recognized annually on July 28th, the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg (1925–2011). Dr. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967, and 2 years later he developed the first hepatitis B vaccine.
These achievements culminated in Dr. Blumberg winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976. Organizations around the world, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC, commemorate WHD to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, which impacts more than 354 million people worldwide.
WHD creates an opportunity to educate people about the burden of these infections, CDC’s efforts to combat viral hepatitis around the world, and actions people can take to prevent these infections.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) has announced a free health screening exercise on July 28, 2021, to observe World Hepatitis Day.
The screening will commence at 10: 00 am prompt at the University of Ghana banking square. Senior Researcher at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr. Gloria Obeng-Benefo assured that the screening was for the general public to promote early diagnosis.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Kofi Atakora
