SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2025
Prevalence of hepatitis C viral infection in Ghana: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- A multi-perspective assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to viral hepatitis care in Ghana.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a public health threat in Ghana. Current epidemiological data is imperative for shaping policy and designing evidence-driven interventions, with particular focus on advancing the STOP Hepatitis C initiative led by the Ghana Ministry of Health.
objectiveThis systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the HCV epidemiological data in Ghana from 2016 to 2025, highlighting population-level and regional variations, identifying high-risk groups, and examining changes in HCV prevalence over the years.
methodsThe review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO (CRD42024592505). A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase (via Ovid), Web of Science, CINAHL and African Journals Online. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed using standardized tools. A total of 53 studies were used for this review with a combined sample size of 487,106 across 12 regions of Ghana.
resultsMeta-analyses using random-effects models revealed an overall pooled national HCV prevalence of 6.04% (95% CI: 3.94% – 8.15%) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 99.9%, P < .00001). Regional disparities were evident, with the Northern Region having the highest prevalence of 20.9% (95% CI: 10.7% – 31.1%) and the Central Region having the least (1.3%, 95% CI: 0.8% – 1.7%). Subgroup analyses indicated HCV prevalence of 10.9% (95% CI: 7.2% – 14.6%) among patients with liver diseases, 6.4% (95% CI: 5.2% – 7.4%) in blood donors, 1.9% (95% CI: 0.9% – 2.3%) in pregnant women and 1.4% (95% CI: 0.7%—2.1%) in PLHIV. Comparatively, the prevalence observed in our study (6.04%) is higher than previously reported in 2016 (3.0%).
conclusionThis systematic review provides a comprehensive update on the burden of HCV in Ghana, revealing significant regional and population-level disparities. Substantial financial intervention is required for the STOP Hep C campaign, along with the inclusion of HCV-RNA testing in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enhance access to diagnosis. These measures will greatly strengthen the drive towards eliminating hepatitis C by 2030.
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