Avoid eating soupy foods in groups from one bowl to prevent spreading Hepatitis B – Prof Akosa

Communal eating from one bowl can help spread Hepatitis B, renowned cellular pathologist and lifestyle wellness consultant, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa has said.

He said eating soupy foods such as fufu, omo tuo or tuo zaafi together from one bowl can make people “swallow saliva” from each other.

His explanation is that people put their hands in their mouths, and dip them in the soup and by such behaviour, they can mix saliva with the soup and if they have Hepatitis B, they can spread it.

Prof Akosa was leading a discussion on practical ideas intended to improve quality health in Ghana at the Ghana Shippers Authority Hall at Ridge in Accra on Tuesday.

The former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was sharing ideas on healthy foods and lifestyle to help prevent diseases.

“Once upon a time, we were all there, there was group participation, group eating, group everything…

“And even the eating, it was later on that I [Prof Akosa] realised that, this is how we spread Hepatitis B. We didn’t know that. We are all eating fufu by the time you finish, you are drinking saliva.”

“I mean five, six of you, you are doing omo tuo or you are doing fufu, what do you think you are doing, you are going in like that and then you come in, by the time you are ending you are drinking saliva, it is the easiest way to spread hepatitis B, he said.

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa who was leading a discussion on practical ideas intended to improve quality health in Ghana was sharing his thoughts together with a health policy and management expert, Prof. Aaron Abuosi.

The two prominent professionals were the main speakers on “Quality Health for All” at the latest edition of the Graphic National Dialogue Series.