Accra, April 30, GNA - Hepatitis B, a chronic and deadly disease, is said to be fast-spreading among Ghanaians, with about four million people currently affected by the disease.

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

On the world stage, 350 million people are carrying the virus out of which one million deaths are recorded annually.

Ms Abigail Kumah, a private Laboratory Technologist announced this at the launch of a campaign in Accra to create awareness on the disease and for people to adopt responsible lifestyles to prevent its spread.

The campaign spearheaded by the Eagles Alliance Club's (EAC), is being promoted by Ms Jennifer Asabere, a 26 year-old Accountancy Graduate of the Accra Polytechnic, who intends to walk from Accra to Kumasi, a distance of 270-kilometres to create awareness on Hepatitis B and C.

The walk is also to encourage individuals to undergo a test to know=

their status and get treated if needed. Ms Asabere starts the journey, which would last for 15 days, from M= ay 5, 2010 where she is expected to hold interactions on the disease with District Chief Executives, Health Directors, students and people along th= e way. Ms Kumah, who is also a member of the EAC, said the hepatitis B infection was on the rise because of the relatively low level of knowledg= e on its existence and mode of acquiring it. Hepatitis B, which is a serious form of liver inflammation, is acquired through the use of un-sterilized infected sharp objects such as barbering, tattooing and ear-piercing equipment, sexual intercourse with and kissing of infected person, body contact with other person's body fluid s= uch as sweat among other things.

Ms Kumah said the disease was more dangerous than HIV/AIDS because it killed much quicker adding that some of its modes of transmission were ju= st very difficult to evade. She 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 so as to prevent its spread.

Ms Asabere, also a member of the EAC, said she decided to embark on the initiative because of the devastation the disease was causing families an= d also to demonstrate the seriousness she attached to fighting the dreadful=

disease. She said the subject matter of her campaign was "prevention, diagnos= is and treatment" and that it would focus on children because there would be= a reduction in cases if children in Ghana were immunized against the disease. She said the campaign was estimated to cost GH¢13,000 and appealed= to corporate organizations and individuals to assist her with financial and other resources to ensure its success. Mr Ernest Gyimah, Executive Director of EAC, noted that though hepatitis B posed a serious threat to society, most people in the rural areas were not aware of its existence. Mr Gyimah said in view of this, EAC would continue to adopt strategi= es to increase awareness on the disease especially among rural folks. EAC is a Non Governmental Organization, which educates the youth on the moral implications of their lifestyles to enable them to lead responsible=

lives.