Egypt aims to eradicate Hepatitis C globally by 2030

CAIRO - 30 July 2024: Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, has set an ambitious goal of eliminating hepatitis C worldwide by 2030. In a virtual address at the World Health Organization's (WHO) webinar commemorating World Hepatitis Day 2024, Ghaffar emphasized the need for accelerated efforts in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve global health outcomes.

Highlighting Egypt's successful experience in combating hepatitis C, Ghaffar underscored the country's remarkable progress in reducing the prevalence of the virus from 10% to 0.38% within a decade. This achievement, he attributed to sustained efforts and unwavering political commitment.

Hosam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, elaborated on Egypt's success, noting that the country has achieved the gold standard in eliminating hepatitis C.

This milestone was attained by meeting the necessary requirements to significantly reduce new infections and deaths, ultimately eradicating the hepatitis C epidemic.

Abdel Ghaffar further emphasized Egypt's commitment to building upon this success by developing a sustainability plan in collaboration with the WHO. This plan aims to maintain the gains made and set a roadmap to achieve the global targets for hepatitis C elimination.

The Minister highlighted the comprehensive evaluation of Egypt's hepatitis C program, encompassing patient care pathways, blood and injection safety, harm reduction initiatives, and mortality monitoring. These insights will inform the development of strategies to enhance care, meet global elimination goals, and prioritize harm reduction.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the WHO, commended Egypt's historic achievement in eliminating hepatitis C, setting a global precedent. Hanan Balkhy, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed pride in Egypt's accomplishments, emphasizing that the country has transformed the global landscape of hepatitis C elimination.