Towards a (HCV)-free Egypt, preview of steps taken in 2017

CAIRO – 6 January 2018: By the year of 2022, Egypt will be hepatitis C free, announced Yehiya el-Shazly, President of the National Committee for Fighting Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infections, around a year ago.

Under the directives of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Health Ministry announced a comprehensive strategy to eliminate hepatitis C Virus (HCV), after infection rates hit their highest in 2014 in Egypt, according to the World Health Organization.

Here are the steps that were already taken by the Health Ministry:

1- 70 HCV Governmental treatment centers and clinics have already been established across the country.

2- Ministry of Health provides a three-month treatment course for only LE 1,500.

3- Two million citizens infected with HCV virus have already been treated, Ministry of Health announce in December 2017.

4- A Member of the National Committee for fighting hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, Yehiya el Shazly announced in February 2017 that the Ministry has provided alterative treatment courses for 45,000 patients who have got a virus rebound.

5- Several field inspection campaigns of nine Upper Egypt governorates were conducted throughout 2017 in order to understand the scope of the spread of the HCV virus and to consequently provide necessary controls to curb its prevalence.

6- The Ministry also plans to conduct similar campaigns in the villages of the Nile Delta over the first three months of 2018.

7- The Ministry's national strategy also includes issuing certificates for patients who are proven to be fully recovered.

8- The Ministry is set to launch a massive campaign which will provide diagnoses for more than 4 million citizens.