Infectious Hepatitis B Negatively Impacts Lifestyles of Affected Individuals in Ejura-Sekyedumasi District of Ghana

Infectious hepatitis b virus (HBV), currently a common disease of the world is entangling over two billion susceptible individuals intimated with 400 million chronicity cases. HBV induces higher mortality, morbidity, financial burden, constituting major global health threat to any human race. Previous studies hinted that high prevalence of HBV infections in Ghana, negatively affect individuals and communities at large. This timely case study purposively cross-examined the impact of HBV on individual patients and community as a whole at the Ejura-Sekyedumasi district hospital. The designed survey involved 36 randomly selected HBV infected patients been pooled from hospital records to willingly offer information under purposive sampling technique using already pretested questionnaires that scored 95% veridicality. The findings revealed deleterious effects of HBV by juxtaposing percentage infection, morbidity, debilitation rates on the reduced living standards among patients which specifically engrossed: obnoxious stigmatization (50-61.1%); inability to [afford three square meals ( 55.6%); pay utility bills ( 69.4%); save money ( 80.6%); pay medical bills ( 58.4%)]; risk of dismissal from work ( 61.1%); poor relationships and neglect (41.7% and 13.9%); ineffective participation in community functions ( 58.3%); and fear of cross infection ( 94.4%). The study recommends joint actions of religious bodies, healthcare service providers, public health education advocates elucidating causes, effects, early screening and vaccination interventions against HBV. State media institutions should be educating communities on proper management of HBV while reproaching neglect and stigmatisation, projecting pre-marital counselling or screening to counteract the disease.