Egypt submits request to WHO to be declared free of hepatitis C

CAIRO – 5 June 2022: Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stated Sunday that Egypt had submitted a request to the WHO to declare the country free of hepatitis C.

Abdel Ghaffar, who is also the minister of higher education and scientific research, made the statement Sunday at Africa Health ExCon held by the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA) in Cairo.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom commended in a recorded speech Egypt’s 100 Healthy Lives Initiative, which has almost eradicated hepatitis C from Egypt.

Minister Abdel Ghaffar noted that Egypt has implemented 11 presidential initiatives pertinent to health, and that have had as beneficiaries 86 million citizens.

Further, Head of the Egyptian Drug Authority Tamer Essam stated that Egypt localized the manufacturing of hepatitis C drugs through 10 firms, reducing the cost of treatment per patient to $50 down from $10,000.

Speaking of Africa, Minister Abdel Ghaffar underlined that less than two percent of drugs consumed in Africa are produced on the continent, although it composes 16.7 percent of the world population.

To improve healthcare in Africa, the minister proposes working on three dimensions simultaneously and that are infrastructure, healthcare workers, and healthcare services.

Chairman of UPA Bahaa Zidan said Egypt’s vision, in that regard, involves making room for global companies to devise solutions to African issues in the health sector. That is because an integral part of the vision is furthering local pharmaceutical industries, Zidan clarified.

What makes the aforementioned goals achievable is that pharmaceuticals are among the most growing sectors in Africa, the official pointed out, saying that Africa Health ExCon is a step forward to achieve continental integration in the healthcare sector.

Cardio Alex, which is a conference focusing on heart diseases, will be held in Alexandria on June 7-9 to complement Africa Health ExCon, which will conclude Tuesday.