Health experts have urged Ghanaians to make hepatitis screening part of their routine medical check-ups, warning that millions could be living with the disease unknowingly because it often shows no symptoms until severe liver damage has occurred.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (28 July) to mark World Hepatitis Day, Senior Nursing Officer for Public Health Richard Peter Yalley said hepatitis B remains a major public health concern in Ghana, with an estimated three million people living with the infection.

According to him, many infected people are unaware of their status because hepatitis B is largely asymptomatic during its early stages.

“People don’t know they have the disease until complications develop. By the time many report to the hospital, they already have liver damage, liver failure or even liver cancer,” he said.

Yalley explained that although testing and treatment services are available in health facilities, many people fail to seek screening because they mistakenly believe they are healthy or fear stigma associated with a positive diagnosis.

He encouraged Ghanaians to undergo routine health screening, including liver function tests, rather than waiting until symptoms appear.

“The only way we can reduce the burden is through early detection. When people know their status early, they can begin treatment and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others,” he said.

He identified mother-to-child transmission during childbirth as the most common route of hepatitis B infection in Ghana, stressing the importance of antenatal screening.

According to Yalley, all pregnant women are routinely screened for hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis under Ghana’s triple elimination strategy aimed at preventing transmission of the infections from mothers to newborns.

He also welcomed plans to introduce a hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine within 24 hours of delivery, describing it as a major intervention that could significantly reduce newborn infections.

Product Executive at Mega LifeSciences, Rene Afful, also urged Ghanaians to get tested, describing hepatitis B as a “silent killer” because infected people often remain symptom-free until the disease reaches its chronic stage.

She explained that once the virus attacks liver cells, it gradually impairs the organ’s ability to perform essential functions, making early diagnosis critical.

Afful noted that while hepatitis B requires lifelong treatment, hepatitis C can now be completely cured with available medication.

She also sought to dispel misconceptions about the disease, clarifying that hepatitis B is not spread through hugging, sharing food or casual contact. Instead, transmission occurs through infected blood and bodily fluids, including unprotected sex, contaminated sharp objects and from mother to child during childbirth.

The programme also featured the testimony of a health worker living with hepatitis B, who said he discovered his condition after seeking medical attention for persistent bitterness in his mouth and bloating.

He said regular medication over the past several months had significantly improved his health and reduced his viral load, encouraging others not to fear testing.

“The earlier the better. People should go out, get tested and take their medication. They shouldn’t think it’s a spiritual issue. It’s a medical condition that can be managed,” he said.

Health experts said achieving the World Health Organization’s target of eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 will depend on increased public awareness, early screening, vaccination and improved access to treatment.