Hepatitis B Linked to 75 Percent of Liver Cancer Cases in Ghana, Expert Says
About three out of every four liver cancer cases diagnosed in Ghana are linked to chronic hepatitis B infection, a Ghanaian gastroenterologist has disclosed. Dr Eileen Akonobea Micah, who specialises in digestive system diseases, made the observation in comments reported by the Ghanaian Times and carried by AllAfrica.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can lead over time to chronic illness, cirrhosis and, in some cases, hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer. Health authorities in many countries classify it as a major preventable cause of liver-related disease, particularly where vaccination programmes and routine screening are limited. Dr Micah’s figure suggests that in Ghana the overwhelming majority of liver cancer patients arriving at clinics are carrying a virus that, in many cases, could have been detected, monitored and managed earlier with antiviral therapy or lifestyle interventions.
Ghana’s health system has in recent years expanded childhood immunisation against hepatitis B and strengthened blood safety measures. Yet adult screening rates remain uneven, and many Ghanaians live with the infection for years without knowing it, because the early stages often produce no obvious symptoms. Public health specialists generally recommend that adults who have not been vaccinated seek testing, particularly those considered at higher risk of exposure through occupational contact, household transmission or unprotected medical procedures.
The link between chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer is well established in international medical literature, with the World Health Organization classifying the virus as a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Dr Micah’s remarks underline why prevention, screening and timely treatment of hepatitis B remain central to reducing liver cancer deaths not only in Ghana but across West Africa, where community prevalence of the virus has historically been high.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
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