An assessment of intervention strategies for Hepatitis B in the Upper East Region

Abstract

Hepatitis B and its associated effects among Ghanaians continue to receive little or inadequate attention from the government. In the Upper East Region, Hepatitis B is gradually becoming one of the major public health concerns. The prevalence of Hepatitis B in the Upper East Region of Ghana has been reported to be higher compared to many other regions in the country. The study investigated the various intervention strategies for controlling hepatitis B in the Upper East Region. The study employed the descriptive research design. The study adopted the quantitative approach to data collection and analysis. A sample size of 384 respondents were used for data collection. The findings showed that community members have adequate knowledge on Hepatitis B. The findings also showed that intervention strategies for containing Hepatitis B were hospital education, community sensitization, mass screening and herbal medication. The perceived benefits, perceived threats and cues to action served as reasons people adopted preventive measures against the virus. The study further found that barriers to preventing Hepatitis B were inadequate education, poor perception concerning the disease, challenges in accessing remote communities and inadequate logistics for health facilities. The study recommended more education and sensitization, provision of logistics, and improved accessibility testing and vaccination services in Upper East Region