We Eliminated Hepatitis C Here… in Seven Months!

Determined to eliminate hepatitis C on its territory, Egypt embarked on a successful program that cured more than a million citizens in a short seven months.

Egypt’s 100 Million Healthy Program – put in place through a $250 million loan from the World Bank – had the ambitious goal of screening the entire population age 12 and over in seven months for hepatitis C, a viral liver infection that had spread across the country resulting in one of the highest incidences of liver cancer in the world.

Through the program, a total of 50 million citizens opted for hepatitis C testing for seropositivity at one of the thousands of testing centers and mobile units. PCR testing was needed for people who had active infections. Some centers conducted an estimated 36,000 tests a day. Three months of free treatment were provided, and out of the 1.6 million adults with active hepatitis C infections, 1.47 million accepted the free treatment, with private treatment also available for $70. All citizens who underwent treatment were tested once again for clearance. Consequently, a total of 1.23 million Egyptian citizens were cured of hepatitis C, and the country now declares to have successfully eliminated the virus.