Hepatitis C is a viral infection that affects the liver and can cause symptoms acute and chronic, can also be fatal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the highest burden of morbidity and mortality is in the Eastern Mediterranean and European regions: both regions have 12 million chronically infected people. For South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, there are an estimated 10 million chronically infected people each, while in Africa and the Americas the figure is 10 million. Nine million and five million peoplerespectively.
WHO congratulates Egypt on its unprecedented progress in eliminating hepatitis C, becoming the first country to achieve “gold levelEliminate hepatitis C according to World Health Organization standards. Reaching the gold level means Egypt has met program requirements that will help reduce new infections and deaths from hepatitis C to a level where the country can contain hepatitis C. The epidemic is over Hepatitis C.
Egypt has diagnosed and treated 87% of hepatitis C patients 93% of people diagnosedExceeded the World Health Organization’s gold-level target of diagnosing at least 80% of people with hepatitis C and providing treatment to at least 70% of those diagnosed.
“Egypt is an example to the world of what can be achieved with modern tools and political commitment at the highest level”
“Egypt has never had a The highest interest rates in the world It is astonishing that hepatitis C infection has been eliminated in less than 10 years. ” Tedros. He added: “Egypt is an example to the world that using modern tools and political commitment at the highest level can achieve the goal of using these tools to prevent infections and save lives.”
Egypt has successfully transformed from one of the highest rates of hepatitis C in the world to one of the lowest Reduce disease rates In just ten years, the incidence of hepatitis C dropped from 10% to 0.38%. Egypt has been strengthening its national prevention and treatment programs since the early 2000s. In 2006, China established the National Viral Hepatitis Control Committee, a governance structure to monitor and control viral hepatitis. Leading the national response to hepatitis.
The Egyptian President started in 2014 and intensified in 2018 national campaign Eliminate Hepatitis C and provide free Hepatitis C testing and treatment. The “100 million ceha” (100 million healthy lives) campaign leads to testing of more than 60 million people and treated more than 4.1 million people.
this antiviral treatment Locally produced direct-acting drugs are a key factor in the campaign’s huge success: cure rates for hepatitis C are as high as 99% when treated. Egypt has also significantly improved its healthcare practices through a patient-centered approach. patient safety Embrace the philosophy of “do no harm” by implementing universal injection safety, blood safety procedures, and harm reduction.
“The Egyptian Ministry of Health serves all people living in Egypt with the highest political commitment and is driven by solidarity, equity and inclusion”
WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Ahmed MandariPraising Egypt’s unprecedented success, noting that “this proves that with determination, success is unstoppable even in the face of huge challenges and difficult times, including the COVID-19 pandemic.” WHO in Egypt “The Egyptian Ministry of Health has always been driven by the highest political commitment and solidarity, equity and inclusion to provide services to all people living in Egypt without discrimination and as a universal human right,” said the representative Dr. Najma Al Gasser.