Egypt has almost eradicated a large invisible “killer”

If you have traveled, you have probably been vaccinated against hepatitis A or B. There are different types of virus that affect the liver, but there is actually one more liver virus, namely hepatitis C. Despite the fact that there is no vaccine for the latter variant , as the only chronic virus it can actually be cured – and it has been largely successful in Egypt. Egypt had one of the highest incidences of hepatitis C in the world 10 years ago, but the country has made a huge effort to end the epidemic. Since 2014, 60 million people have been tested and 4.1 million have been diagnosed and treated, of whom 99 percent have recovered from the disease today. As a result, the proportion of infected people has fallen from 10 per cent to 0.36 per cent in just 10 years. – They have tested over 50 per cent of the population in Egypt, that is an incredible number of people. That the infection has fallen so violently is very big, says Jens Bukh. He is professor of virology and immunology at the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital, and is director of the research program Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP). If one is not treated after being infected with hepatitis, the virus develops into a chronic infection, which happens to 75 percent of those infected. Over time, it can develop into liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer, which have serious consequences as the liver affects all organs in the body. Globally, 58 million people live with chronic hepatitis C and in 2019, 290,000 people died from the virus – mainly from liver cancer. The silent killer Although chronic hepatitis C can be treated, more and more people are living with the infection without knowing it. Hepatitis C has no symptoms and is therefore difficult to detect. In fact, four out of five infected people do not know they are infected, which is why it is also called “the silent killer”. But since 2014, Egypt has made such great strides towards eliminating hepatitis C that, according to the World Health Organization, the country has achieved a gold standard, a so-called Gold Tier, for its treatment program. The chronic infection can be treated with tablets for eight to 12 weeks. – Egypt’s success in fighting the hepatitis C epidemic shows that even where things are worst, it can be done, says Bukh.



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