Ghanaian musician Okyeame Kwame has organised the 14th edition of his annual Hepatitis B screening exercise for residents of Dome in Accra.

This year’s screening held at the Dome Market, was in collaboration with the MDS Lancet Laboratories and the Noguchi Memorial Institute. 

Okyeame Kwame’s OK Foundation holds the screening exercise every year to mark the World Hepatitis Day celebration. 

The World Hepatitis Day is an annual event celebrated worldwide on 28th July, aimed at educating the public on viral hepatitis and creating awareness of the global and regional burden associated with the disease. 

This medical outreach intends to offer complimentary screening for hepatitis B and C, as well as check for hemoglobin levels and malaria infection. For persons who tested negative for Hepatitis B, there was also free hepatitis B vaccination. Additionally, the team provided counseling and support to individuals who may have tested positive.

According Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, an Associate Professor of the Noguchi Memorial Institute, they decided to collaborate with Okyeame Kwame on this project because of they saw how progressive his initiative had been over the years.

“Two years ago, we have a discussion with Okyeame Kwame to combine our efforts and that is what has resulted on what we are seeing today,” he said.

Okyeame Kwame, who led the team on the streets of Dome Market to conscientise people on Hepatitis B and invite the to take part in free screening exercise, told myjoyonline.com that the quest to eradicate the disease from Ghana has been his driving force for running the programme for fourteen years.

He also called on individuals and corporate institutions to come on board and offer help in various forms to help advance the worthy cause.