The Ministry of Health has inaugurated a National Viral Hepatitis Technical Working Group as part of renewed efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in Ghana.
The inauguration took place during the 2026 World Hepatitis Day commemoration, held under the theme, “Hepatitis: Elimination for Everyone, Everywhere, Right Now.”
Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Desmond Boateng, who represented the Minister for Health, said the government is committed to integrating hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment into the Free Primary Health Care Programme to improve early detection and access to care.
The ceremony was chaired by the Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Health and National Patron for Viral Hepatitis Elimination in Ghana, Dr. Mark Nwani.
Addressing participants, Mr. Boateng revealed that an estimated three million Ghanaians are living with hepatitis B, while about 500,000 are believed to have hepatitis C.
He noted that many infected persons remain unaware of their status because the disease can remain symptomless for years while causing severe liver damage.
According to the Ministry, chronic hepatitis B and C remain major causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, with liver cancer currently ranked as Ghana’s third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
Among men, it is the leading cause of cancer mortality.
He disclosed that only about one per cent of people living with hepatitis B in Ghana have been diagnosed, while treatment coverage remains very low.
Mr. Boateng outlined several measures being implemented to tackle the disease, including expanding access to free hepatitis C treatment through support from the Government of Egypt and other development partners, introducing hepatitis B vaccination for newborns within the first 24 hours of birth, and integrating hepatitis education, screening, vaccination and referral services into primary healthcare facilities across the country.
He said the Free Primary Health Care Programme provides an opportunity to shift Ghana’s healthcare system from treating advanced disease to preventing infections and detecting cases early.
Despite the progress made, the Ministry acknowledged challenges including the high cost of testing, inadequate laboratory capacity, weak surveillance systems and limited sustainable financing.
Government said it will work with the National Health Insurance Authority and other stakeholders to explore financing options that will reduce the cost of hepatitis care while decentralising services and strengthening referral systems through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
The newly inaugurated Technical Working Group has been tasked with supporting the implementation of a costed national hepatitis elimination plan, including advising on the nationwide rollout of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine, expanding affordable diagnostic services and strengthening disease surveillance.
Mr. Boateng urged members of the committee to drive a coordinated, evidence-based national response to eliminate viral hepatitis.
He also encouraged Ghanaians to know their hepatitis status through testing and to get vaccinated where eligible, stressing that the country’s goal is to ensure no child contracts hepatitis at birth and no Ghanaian dies from preventable liver disease due to late diagnosis or lack of access to treatment.
