Advancing Hepatitis C Elimination in Africa: Insights from Egypt

Abstract

Izere Salomon,1,2 Sibomana Olivier,1 Ndayambaje Egide1 1Department of General Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda; 2YP-CDN Rwanda (Rwanda Young Professional Chronic Disease Network), Kigali RwandaCorrespondence: Izere Salomon, Email [email protected]: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a significant risk to global public health and is linked to life-threatening clinical outcomes. According to the WHO, there are an estimated 58 million people worldwide who have a chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; there are 1.5 million new cases and more than 350,000 fatalities from HCV-related illnesses each year. Even though there are numerous diagnostic techniques, the lack of funding, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and low public awareness of the Hepatitis C virus can make diagnosis and treatment difficult to obtain throughout the continent. The frequency of hepatitis C virus infection is highest in African nations (1– 26%), raising serious concerns about the virus’s impact on public health. The world’s highest rate of Hepatitis C virus infection was found in Egypt, an African nation. Its nationwide hepatitis C elimination program stands out as a prime example of achievement, having screened, and treated over 60 million people, significantly reducing the disease’s incidence and prevalence. Other African nations facing similar difficulties might benefit greatly from Egypt’s methods, which provide valuable insights and flexible frameworks. This review aims to shed light on Egypt’s successes and challenges while offering strategic recommendations to African nations to quicken their progress in eliminating hepatitis C.Keywords: hepatitis C, elimination, Africa, Egypt, direct-acting antivirals, policy insights, hepatitis virus

Keywords

• hepatitis c
• elimination
• africa
• egypt
• direct-acting antivirals
• policy insights
• hepatitis virus