Hepatitis B A Public Health Problem

Hepatitis B, a liver disease, has been identified as a serious public health problem in Ghana, Dr Delfin Chaveco Bautista, a member of the Cuban Medical Brigade working in the country, said on Saturday.

He said out of a total of 17,048 patients that members of the Brigade attended to within a two-year period in six regions, over 4,000 were found to be infected with the disease.

Speaking at the third scientific workshop of the Medical Brigade in Accra on Saturday, he said 63 per cent of the cases were found among males, with more cases occurring within the 15 to 30 years group.

Globally, Dr Bautista said there are some 300 million chronic carriers of the disease, which is common among Africans, Asians and Oceanians.

He mentioned liver failure and cancer as some complications associated with the disease.

Dr Geovanis Delisle Cobas, Head of the Medical Brigade, said currently, 154 Cuban doctors are offering various medical services including surgery, anaesthesia and microbiology in all 10 regions.

Dr Cobas explained that 89 of the doctors are working in district hospitals while the rest are the in regional hospitals, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Military Hospitals.

He said apart from the field work that the Brigade carries out throughout the year in some villages, three days are always set aside in the year to carry out a nation-wide medical outreach programme to coincide with the beginning of the struggle for the final independence of Cuba, the national day of the Cuban Armed Forces and Ghana's Independence day.

He said the Cuban medical team was able to bring down considerably the death rates for maternal, under-fives and infants in various cases handled.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Nana Akufo Addo, Deputy Health Minister, Moses Dani Baah and some MPs attended the scientific conference that aimed at promoting friendship between Ghana and Cuba.