National treatment programme of hepatitis C in Egypt: Hepatitis C virus model of care

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem in Egypt as the nation bears the highest prevalence rate worldwide. This necessitated establishing a novel model of care (MOC) to contain the epidemic, deliver patient care and ensure global treatment access. In this review, we describe the process of development of the Egyptian model and future strategies for sustainability. Although the magnitude of the HCV problem was known for many years, the HCV MOC only came into being in 2006 with the establishment of the National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis (NCCVH) to set up and implement a national control strategy for the disease and other causes of viral hepatitis. The strategy outlines best practices for patient care delivery by applying a set of service principles through identified clinical streams and patient flow continuums. The Egyptian national viral hepatitis treatment programme is considered one of the most successful and effective public health programmes. To date, more than one million patients were evaluated and more than 850 000 received treatment under the umbrella of the programme since 2006. The NCCVH has been successful in establishing a strong infrastructure for controlling viral hepatitis in Egypt. It established a nationwide network of digitally connected viral hepatitis-specialized treatment centres covering the country map to enhance treatment access. Practice guidelines suiting local circumstances were issued and regularly updated and are applied in all affiliated centres. This review illustrates the model and the successful Egyptian experience. It sets an exemplar for states, organizations and policy-makers setting up programmes for care and management of people with hepatitis C.

Letter: concordance of SVR4 and SVR12 following direct‐acting anti‐viral treatment in Egypt

“…According to the data shown in Table 1, the median serum tacrolimus concentration of the 6 patients was 4.6 (3.3, 7.2) ng/mL, which conformed to the effective dose described in most other studies, [2][3][4][5][6] but the outcome was not the same. After analysing the basic status of these patients, we found that all 6 patients had hepatic decompensation prior to treatment with tacrolimus.…”

Hepatitis C infection in Egypt: prevalence, impact and management strategies

“…The national treatment strategy for control of HCV infection in Egypt39 was set by the National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis (NCCVH) which was established by the MoH in 2006, in response to the magnitude of the HCV problem and burden of disease in Egypt 40. This committee had an advisory board of volunteer hepatology and epidemiology professors and included international experts from Pasteur Institute, Paris, and the University of California, San Francisco.…”

The cost of eliminating hepatitis C in Pakistan

“…Inspiration for such a paradigm shift could be drawn from the hugely successful hepatitis C control programme in Egypt. 10 Such a body must also be empowered to federally negotiate discounted procurements for the programme in an accountable and transparent manner. Despite the barriers to an effective strategy, there are grounds for optimism.…”