A national campaign dubbed ‘Heal the Gut- Save the Liver’ has been in Accra to promote education on liver health and care in all parts of the country. The campaign, launched by Save Your Liver Foundation, the first liver health Non-Governmental Organization in Sub-Saharan Africa, is to ensure that Gut-Liver health is adopted as the first recourse to Ghana’s preventive health culture. The liver is the largest organ in the body which performs over 500 vital functions daily to keep one alive and removes harmful toxins from nearly 100 gallons of blood per day. The gut refers to the gastrointestinal (GI) system, which is part of alimentary canal, particularly the stomach and the intestines. Mr Nyaaba-Aweeba Azongo, President of Save Your Liver Foundation, said the campaign was necessitated by the rise in diabetes, autoimmune diseases, stroke, heart diseases, chronic kidney diseases, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, prostate diseases, digestive and chronic diseases. He said an unhealthy gut lining may have cracks, allowing partially digested food and toxins to penetrate the tissues beneath it. ‘This may trigger inflammation and changes in the guts normal bacteria, which could lead to problems within the digestive tract and beyond,’ he said. Mr Azongo said when the Gut-Liver Axis becomes impaired, it affects its ability to filter blood, and immediately begins to allow toxins into the blood stream, a condition called leaky gut. The President said a leaked gut may lead to the onset of diabetes, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, prostate diseases, digestive disorders, and most chronic diseases among others hence the campaign. He said leaky gut and diseased liver had become the two medical red flags, which all needed to turn attention to. Mr Azongo said ‘The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates spoke on the role of the gut to the general health when he said, ‘all diseases begin in the gut.’ A healthy gut and liver form the core of long-term wellness.’ He emphasised that the campaign was to inspire all organisations in liver health to include gut-liver health education by joining Save Your Liver Foundation to promote gut-liver health in the country. He also called on the media to educate the public to make gut-liver health the number one preventive Ghanaian health culture. Dr Nathan Quarcoo, the Medical Consultant, Lord Healthcare, said stress, food, self-medication, and consumption of processed foods among others could cause gut-liver disease. He said the majority of Outpatients Department (OPD) cases were because people did not take good care of their guts. Dr Quarcoo urged Ghanaians to be mindful of what they consumed.
Source: Ghana News Agency