HM Cycling Club Fights Hepatitis B

A-THREE member team of cyclists from HM Cycling Club will embark on a two week cross-country tour on their bicycles to educate people on the dangers of Hepatitis B.

The cyclists are Hassan Musah, 43, Samuel Nertey, 30 and William Nertey, 22.

Briefing Health Matters, the leader of the group, Hassan Musah said as a leader he was more concerned about the development and welfare of the less privileged in society adding “our aim of embarking on this project is to assist health experts to propagate the importance of knowing one's Hepatitis B status.

He said it was rather unfortunate that most people downplayed the existence of the disease by leading lifestyles that increase the risk of dying early hence the need to create awareness on the disease to help people adopt more responsible lifestyles that would help prevent spreading.  

He said reports have it that Hepatitis B, which is a chronic and deadly disease is fast-spreading among Ghanaians with about four million people currently affected.

“The figure which is sourced from the Ghana Health Service report 2009 is an increase on the rate of infection recorded in 2005 which stood at a ratio of 8:1 as against 6:1 presently.

And on the world stage, 350 million people are carrying the virus out of which one million deaths are recorded annually,” he said.

The campaign spearheaded by the cyclists who intend to ride   from Accra through Somanya, Kpong, Juapong, Assikuma, Hohoe, Ketekrachi, North Bawku, Bolgatanga, Kintampo, Sunyani, Kumasi, Nkawkaw, Suhum, Nsawam then back to Accra is scheduled to take off from November 22.

The campaign which will also to encourage individuals to undergo testing to know their status and get treated if needed would enable Hassan and his team to interact with people in communities where they make stopovers.

Mr. Musah said the hepatitis B infection was on the rise because of the relatively low level of knowledge on its existence and mode of acquiring it.

Hepatitis B, he said was a serious form of liver inflammation acquired through the use of unsterilized infected sharp objects such as barbering, tattooing and ear-piercing equipment, sexual intercourse with and kissing an infected person and body contact with an infected person's body fluids such as sweat among others.  

He said the disease was more dangerous than HIV/AIDS because it killed much quicker adding that some of its modes of transmission were simply very difficult to evade.

He said due to the dangerous nature, there was the need to increase awareness on its existence as was done for AIDS, malaria and others and educate the people on ways to avoid contracting it to prevent its spread.

Mr. Musah who said the team's resources for embarking on these projects was very scanty noted that in spite of the handicap they were committed to it because it was the responsibility of every Ghanaian to help save human lives.

He therefore called on corporate bodies and individuals who have the health of Ghanaians at heart to come to their aid to enable them achieve the purpose of the project by supporting them either in cash or in kind. Individuals and corporate bodies can call them on 0277713415. By Henrieta Abayie