Charles Adjei PhD, MPhil, MPH, RN

Dr. Charles Ampong Adjei is the Executive Director of the Hepatitis Alliance of Ghana. As part of efforts to eliminate hepatitis in Ghana, he has been involved in a number of programs and projects. First, he has trained over 10,000 healthcare providers on hepatitis B in 7 regions of Ghana since 2008. The most current training was on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, which involved over 130 midwives serving in remote areas in the Brong Ahafo region through the support of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination.

Dr. Adjei is the convener of the Hepatitis Summit-Ghana, where key stakeholders/policymakers, researchers, public health professionals, and health care providers are brought on a coordinated platform to dialogue and receive training every two years in the Ghana capital. He serves as an advisory member of the hepatitis C elimination project of the Ghana National Viral Hepatitis Control Program. Dr. Adjei has participated in a number of hepatitis awareness campaigns in churches and mosques. He has reached over 50,000 people with hepatitis messages and screening services in partnership with other district health directorates. He also organized a hepatitis B quiz competition for six public universities in Ghana. Dr. Adjei maintains a call center where patients with hepatitis concerns can call and receive support. He has also mapped out different liver specialists in various places in the country where patients who need to be clinically monitored and treated can simply be directed to them when contacted.

Recognizing the importance of evidence in advocacy, Dr. Adjei has led several research projects on viral hepatitis, specifically, barriers to timely administration of hepatitis B birth dose vaccine to neonates; barriers to care and treatment; supportive care needs of adolescents with hepatitis B; hepatitis B stigma; and disclosure concerns of people with hepatitis B and has published over 17 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as BMJ, PlosOne, BMC Public health, etc. and 17 under review. The findings of his research inform the training needs of healthcare providers and are also communicated in the form of press releases, which are shared with various media houses in Ghana to generate conversations around hepatitis, particularly during the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day.

Dr. Adjei has also been involved in a number of advocacy efforts that target duty bearers and policymakers on the need to invest in hepatitis elimination programs. He has used techniques such as patient voice in films, policy briefs, news releases, consultative meetings with stakeholders, and media engagement as a means to bring forth the messages. Dr. Adjei has mentored a lot of hepatitis champions in Ghana. Some of these mentees are offering services in rural communities and are making a significant impact. One of the mentees has won a national award as a hepatitis elimination champion, helping rural areas in northern Ghana. Another mentee in the area of hepatitis was also competitively selected by the US Embassy as a fellow of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for 2022.