Anti-hepatitis C campaign expands to last 10 governorates

CAIRO –22 February 2018: The Ministry of Health announced the launch of the hepatitis C field inspections in the remanding 10 governorates, as a part of the Ministry’s nation-wide initiative to eliminate the spread of the Hepatitis C by 2022.

Last week, the Ministry announced that 17 governorates have been targeted by the Ministry’s walk-in HIV testing.

During a meeting on Thursday, Minister of Health, Ahmed Emad el-Din discussed with the Ministry’s leaders the progress made so far in the campaign and the cluster of the medical conveys in the new target governorates. Nearly 80,000 tests have been carried out by 56 medical convoys in 17 governorates so far, according to the Minister.

He also confirmed that the remaining provinces includes the governorates of Qalioubia, Kafr el-Sheikh, Alexandria, Matrouh, Ismailia, Suez, South and North Sinai and Al Wadi Al Gedied, explaining that there will be 31 walk-in points established and distributed to thoroughly cover the said governorates, along with total 124 mobile medical vehicles for testing opportunities.

The medical examinations are conducted through the analysis of ELISA screening for virus C using dried blood samples.

By 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 the hepatitis C virus (HCV), after infection rates hit their highest in Egypt in 2014, according to the World Health Organization.

Two million citizens infected with HCV virus have already been treated, the Ministry of Health announced in December 2017.

During his recent visit to Egypt, Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos accompanied the medical convoy that was sent out to Cairo’s largest slum, Ezbet el-Hagana, to spread awareness about hepatitis C and to conduct inspections.