The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, in collaboration with MDS Lancet and OK Foundation had organized a junior high school health quiz competition for some schools in the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, as an awareness movement for hepatitis among young children in Ghana ahead of the World Hepatitis Day on 28th July.
The final contest of the quiz competition which had been ongoing in various schools within the Municipal Assembly, was held at the Noguchi Institute’s Conference Center on 21st July, 2023. The Finalists Schools for the competition included ESPO best JHS, Abelenkpe 2 Basic Schools, University Staff Village JHS and Covenant Presby, with ESPO Best JHS emerging as the overall winners of the quiz competition.
In an engagement with UniversNews, the Principal Investigator of the Hepatitis Malaria Project (HEPMAL), Prof. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi explained that the event was organized to create impact on the participating students and their communities at large, with hopes that the students are able to educate their communities on Hepatitis as a disease.
“We are hoping that [the students] will go back to their communities and pass the information. We always encourage them and expect that the message will go out into the schools, into the communities and people will be more aware, especially when it comes to how the disease is contracted.”
Nearing the end of the event, Municipal Director of Education for Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, Ms. Margaret Kaba encouraged students and contestants present to ensure that the knowledge they acquired on the disease is disseminated in their respective environments.
“You are privileged to get this firsthand information. And so, when you get back, what you need to do is first share the information with your schoolmates. Share the information with everyone in the society, so that we will all remain healthy, free from hepatitis.”
Municipal Director of Health for Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, Dr. Louisa Ademki Matey also expressed satisfaction with the children’s awareness of disease, in turn also encouraging them to share their knowledge on the disease.
“Hepatitis is one of the diseases that we are combating very much as a service. I’m especially glad that we have opportunities to educate people as young as possible because sometimes we think that young children don’t have to learn these things but they should.”
The event also included a musical performance from Ghanaian Musician and Entrepreneur, Okyeame Kwame, who brought out excitement among the students and teachers alike attending the event.
Speaking to UniversNews, Okyeame Kwame in turn explained how he was using his platform to create awareness on the disease in line with WHO’s goal to eradicate hepatitis as a disease.
“There’s a motivation, there’s a burning, unquenchable desire for me to see that the world has no more hepatitis. It comes back to the fact that I’m an artist, I have a very big platform and I’m able to use my personality to pull people, to pay attention. So I use advocacy to create awareness on hepatitis as a disease.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases that primarily affects the liver and can lead to acute or chronic inflammation of the organ. They can be transmitted through contaminated food and water, or from mother to child. Though there are vaccines for the disease, preventing hepatitis primarily involves practicing good hygiene, and avoiding sharing personal items that could be contaminated with infected blood.
–
Story by | Deborah Yakohene | univers.ug.edu.gh
