Estimated 9.2 million suffer from chronic Hep C in Middle East and North Africa
SCIENTIFIC MEDICAL EXPERTS from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has jointly announced a consensus statement on the identification and challenges posed by chronic Hepatitis C in this region, calling for national and local governments and healthcare providers to join forces to address this condition. Hepatitis C is highly prevalent in the MENA region with approximately 9.2 million individuals infected with this condition. The consensus statement resulted from a 12-country study in the MENA region in 2010 by the international scientific agency PharmARC with support from MSD. The study comprised a search of the literature gauging the opinion of selected Hep C experts from the MENA region. On the back of this research the experts met and authored a white paper on the ‘Socio-Economic Burden of Hepatitis C’ to generate regional patient management and infection prevention recommendations, as well as country-specific research and initiatives to guide efforts toward addressing the Hep C challenges. Key conclusions reached by the
Hepatitis C experts in their consensus statement include: Experts estimate that only one third of those infected have been diagnosed For most MENA countries, the prevalence of Hepatitis C antibody positivity is estimated to be between 1-2%; the exception is Egypt for which the estimated prevalence is around 14% for adults aged 15-60 years HCV genotype 4 (HCV-4) is particularly common in the Middle East and North Africa, where it is responsible for 30-80% of HCV infections Most countries have major deficiencies in their information and co-ordination systems, critical for the implementation of Hep C services. According to the white paper
on the Socio-Economic Burden of Hepatitis C, in some MENA countries,
8
www.lifesciencesmagazines.com
particularly those with a lower gross domestic product (GDP), a major route of infection is exposure to unsterile equipment in healthcare settings. The experts urge that strict infection control measures must be implemented according to best standard practices. “A program of awareness raising
initiatives, aimed at both preventing and diagnosing Hep C, should be developed and implemented; these should be designed for the general population, school children and people belonging to high risk groups,” said, added Professor Ibrahim Mostafa, M.D., Ph.D., Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cairo University. ■
AH
NEWS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64