Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin says government must urgently make the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B free and accessible to communities.

According to him, it is vital that testing, diagnosis, vaccination, and treatment of Hepatitis B be enrolled into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make its treatment affordable or even free as done for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Delivering a statement on the disease in Parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin explained that this treatable disease is killing people mainly because of the cost of treatment.

He urged the government to cover the treatment for hepatitis just as it is done for HIV.

"HIV patients get the antiretroviral drugs free of charge. Unfortunately, Hepatitis B patients who also rely on this same medication have to buy it.

"If we do this, it will reduce morbidity and mortality in our country to the barest minimum with a strong focus on vulnerable groups within our rural areas," he said.