Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has committed an amount of GH¢1 million to support Mumbies Foundation, a non-governmental organization, to combat hepatitis B.
Afenyo Markin made the commitment at a town hall meeting to help in screening and sensitization while urging constituents to be wary of the diseases and cooperate with health experts when they visit them.
Out of 2,106 individuals screened for the disease in the constituency, 68 pregnant women tested positive, 148 children tested positive, and 189 youth tested positive.
HepaGuard, the project is designed to protect liver health, raise awareness, and make a lasting impression in the Effutu Municipality and beyond.
The project is solely funded by Afenyo Markin with the aim of dealing with the widespread virus.
The Project Manager of Mumbies Foundation, Israel Adorbley, described the diseases as a silent epidemic spreading in communities in Ghana and beyond.
“Hepatitis B is a silent epidemic affecting communities in Ghana and the world, with the Effutu enclave being the recent spot. However, the HepaGuard project is set to change that narrative by embarking on the sensitization and vaccination exercise,” he said.
He disclosed that Afenyo Markin has been instrumental in educating constituents about hepatitis B and has also agitated for the inclusion of the disease in the National Health Insurance Scheme to help persons who are infected.
