DOHA: Hepatitis C infection rates are relatively low in the Gulf and in Qatar 1.1 percent of the population have the virus, a recent discussion at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s (WCMC-Q) Grand Rounds, revealed.
The impact of the virus on the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) was discussed in the latest instalment of Grand Rounds.
Dr Laith Abu-Raddad, Associate Professor of Public Health, WCMC-Q, described the historical spread of hepatitis C in Mena and discussed latest therapies and public health efforts to control the debilitating virus.
The Grand Rounds, developed by WCMC-Q’s Division of Continuing Professional Development, provides a platform for experts to engage with healthcare professionals to disseminate knowledge of latest developments in medical technology, research and best practice.
Dr Abu-Raddad said, “The disease burden of viral hepatitis worldwide is comparable to other serious diseases such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.
“It is one of the major threats to global health and Mena has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus of any region in the world.”
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus most commonly spread by the use of inadequately sterilised medical equipment, transfusion of contaminated blood and unsafe practices such as sharing needles/syringes. The virus can also be transmitted from mothers to their children during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. There is no vaccine.
If untreated, hepatitis C can cause severe liver cirrhosis, which in some cases leads to liver cancer and death. Up to 150 million people worldwide are believed to have hepatitis C and 350,000 to 500,000 die each year from related liver disease. Egypt has the highest rate of hepatitis C infection in the world, with 14.7 percent of the population carrying the virus.
Dr Abu-Raddad said the disease burden is growing but new hope emerged over a year ago when the world’s first effective hepatitis C drug was launched. Unfortunately, the drug costs $84,000 for a 12-week course.
“We hope that prices of new generation of medications will fall considerably so that they can be made available to large numbers of people, which has started to happen. In Egypt, for example, the government was able to negotiate a large discount on the drug and has begun a programme that has so far treated over 400,000 people. Other countries are developing their programmes and I am hopeful that in the future we will be able to dramatically reduce the incidence of hepatitis C in Mena, relieving many people from the misery of the disease.”
The Peninsula
