A team from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is in Ghana for a three-day official working visit to assess progress in viral hepatitis control and identify new areas of support towards the elimination of the disease.
As part of the visit, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Health in Accra. The team was received on behalf of the Minister by the Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafez Adam Taher.
The delegation is being led by the Head of Infectious Diseases at Africa CDC, Dr Serge Batcho, and is being accompanied by the Programme Manager of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), Dr John Gerald Adiiboka, chairperson for the viral hepatitis Technical Working Group, Dr Adwoa Agyei Nkansah, Technical expert Dr Yvonne Nartey, and other team members from the programme Dr Batcho expressed his appreciation for Ghana’s progress in the response to viral hepatitis and commended the country’s sense of direction in addressing major infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and HIV.
He said the visit would provide an opportunity for the Africa CDC team to gain a deeper understanding of Ghana’s achievements, prospects and challenges in the fight against viral hepatitis, while exploring areas where the continental body could provide further support. Discussions during the engagement at the Ministry of Health focused on strengthening diagnostic capacity, building the capacity of health workers and improving the integration of care, including approaches to triple elimination and effective linkage of patients to appropriate care.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of advocacy, public sensitisation and community engagement in improving awareness and access to viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment services. Dr Taher noted that Ghana’s healthcare landscape was undergoing significant changes, with renewed emphasis on primary healthcare and early detection. He said the Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) initiative had the potential to strengthen early detection, referral and linkage to care, particularly by bringing essential health services closer to communities.
He further noted that conditions such as renal failure and cardiac diseases often required significant financial resources for treatment, making financial protection an important component of efforts to improve health outcomes. According to him, interventions at the various levels of the health system were increasingly focused on addressing financial barriers to healthcare.
Dr Taher also acknowledged the financial and technical support received from partners in advancing the country's viral hepatitis response. He specifically mentioned the support facilitated through the Africa CDC, including the donation of medicines from Egypt for the treatment of hepatitis C in Ghana.
Dr Taher called for the Ministry to be notified ahead of the arrival of such consignments to facilitate the necessary clearance processes and minimise the risk of additional costs, including demurrage. He expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between Ghana and the Africa CDC would further accelerate efforts to strengthen viral hepatitis control and improve access to services.
During the three-day visit, the Africa CDC team is scheduled to meet the Director-General and some Divisional Directors and also visit selected health facilities and STOP Hep C sites. The team will also engage key stakeholders within Ghana’s viral hepatitis elimination ecosystem.
The visit forms part of the Africa CDC’s Continental Viral Hepatitis Programme, which seeks to strengthen continental efforts towards the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and eventual elimination of viral hepatitis. It will be recalled that the Africa CDC previously facilitated the importation of medicines from Egypt to support the treatment of hepatitis C in Ghana.