(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The impact of the hepatitis C virus on the Mena region was discussed in the latest installment of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar's (WCMC-Q) Grand Rounds.
Egypt has the highest rate of hepatitis C infection in the world, with 14.7% of the population carrying the virus. Infection rates are relatively low in the Gulf region and in Qatar 1.1% of the population have the virus.
If untreated, hepatitis C can cause severe liver cirrhosis, which in some cases leads to liver cancer and death. Up to 150mn people worldwide are believed to have hepatitis C and 350,000 to 500,000 die each year from hepatitis C-related liver disease.
Dr Laith Abu-Raddad, associate professor of public health at WCMC-Q, described the historical spread of hepatitis C in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and discussed the latest therapies and public health efforts aimed at controlling the debilitating virus.
The Grand Rounds, developed by WCMC-Q's division of Continuing Professional Development, provides a platform for expert speakers to engage with healthcare professionals in the community to disseminate knowledge of the latest developments in medical technology, research and best practice.
Speaking at WCMC-Q to an audience of physicians, researchers, students and healthcare professionals, 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 important threats to global health, and the Mena region has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus of any region in the world."
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that is most commonly spread by the use of inadequately sterilised medical equipment, transfusions of contaminated blood and by unsafe practices such as sharing needles or syringes. The virus can also be transmitted from mothers to their children during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
Dr Abu-Raddad said the hepatitis C disease burden is growing and the world's first truly effective hepatitis C drug was launched last year. But the new drug comes at a price tag of $84,000 for a full 12-week course.
Dr Abu-Raddad said, "We now hope that the price of this new generation of medications will fall considerably so that these drugs can be made available to large numbers of people, which has already 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 more than 400,000 people.
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