Rarely do you find musicians and other show business people embark on philanthropic projects like legendary rapper, Okyeame Kwame is doing. His foundation, the Okyeame Kwame Foundation together with MDS Lancet Laboratories undertake a yearly hepatitis b screening and vaccination project in a bit to kicking the disease out of Ghana.
Since its inception six years ago, the project has screened and vaccinated almost 7000 people across the length and breadth of the country. This year marks the seventh edition, slated to take place at Kumasi from the 26th of July to the 1st of August.
In an interaction with the media, Okyeame Kwame said ‘’Fighting hepatitis is my biggest joy because I think preventing it is the responsibility of all Ghanaians. In all of my endeavors, nothing fulfills me more than when I’m on this noble course and I believe I’ve still got more to do in the society that brought me up. So whenever July is approaching, I am motivated and enthused to embark on this project to affect lives.’’
Expectation for this year’s project is high as the last few years have chalked massive success. Okyeame Kwame revealed that he ponders over certain questions as this determines the success of the project. He retorted ‘’Will we be able to screen a 1000 people again?; are we able to reduce the prevalence rate from 15%? will our actions compel people to seek clarity about hepatitis b from their doctors?
This year’s project is under the theme ‘’Let’s kick hepatitis out of Ghana’’ and a series of programs have been outlined to embrace the occasion at Kumasi. It includes the celebrity car wash on 26th July at Bekwai roundabout; donation to Agogo Central Hospital on 28th July during World Hepatitis Day celebrations plus radio celebrations of World Hepatitis Day on Fox FM and a free screening and vaccination exercise at Prempeh assembly hall on 1st August. The project is endorsed by the Ministry of Health.
By Charles Akrofi
