AYV News, February 13, 2026
KnowHep Foundation Sierra Leone has revealed plans to embark on massive Hepatitis screening exercise in a new project that targets at risk women and new born babies in Sierra Leone.
Some 1000 pregnant females will be targeted in the initiative as part of the Foundation’s drive to raise awareness and promote access to services for Hepatitis B, a major public health issue.
KnowHep Foundation, a member of World Hepatitis Alliance, is dedicated to raising awareness about the disease which is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a growing global public health crisis.
Dr Manal Ghazzawi, Founder of KnowHep Foundation Sierra Leone, is leading implementation of the B-Free project, in collaboration with the US based International Hepatitis Federation (IHF) and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health (MoH). The Specialist Pharmacist is renowned for her advocacy on Hepatitis and Diabetes. She disclosed that this one-year long project entails screening of the pregnant women, vaccinating those at risk, as well as babies born to infected mothers.
“Hepatitis is becoming a global public health concern and it is a public health concern in Sierra Leone too,” Dr Ghazzawisays.
The project will be implemented in two of the country’s major maternity centers – the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown, which is the country’s main referral center for maternity care, and the Masanga Hospital in Tonkolili District, which will cater for the rural segment of the population that the project provides for.
For Dr Ghazzawi, this project is part of her advocacy for the Sierra Leone government to integrate mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis into existing structure of the country’s HIV elimination programme.
“The screening will be done first and then follow up of pregnant women, ensure vaccines are available in each of the delivery wards, and ensure babies are vaccinated within 24 hours after birth,” she says.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, and it is most often caused by a virus, although some infections are linked to drug or alcohol abuse, toxins or autoimmune diseases.
There are five main types of Hepatitis, known as A, B, C, D and E.
Types A and E, which are milder, are typically transmitted via contaminated food or water. Types B, C and D are transmitted via contact with body fluids of an infected person.
Hepatitis B and C are responsible for most mortality and morbidity globally, according to WHO. They cause more annual deaths worldwide than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.
Most people do not experience any symptom when newly infected with Hepatitis B. But when symptoms show, they are in the form of jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, and dark urine.
Acute forms of Hepatitis can last less than six months, while chronic cases can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer and eventually death.
