Egypt: Towards successful elimination of HCV in low-income countries

Abstract

The introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has transformed the landscape of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment; making the ambitious target of HCV elimination is possibly feasible. The global burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is currently estimated by 71 million infected patients worldwide. Most infected patients reside in Eastern Mediterranean and European Regions with a reported prevalence of HCV infection of 2.3% and 1.5%, respectively. Egypt is one of the highest prevalence countries for HCV infection who took excellent steps towards HCV elimination since the establishment of the National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis (NCCVH) in 2006 with an integrated teamwork of government, researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and the pharmaceutical companies. Herein, we will present the Egyptian journey towards the successful elimination of HCV as a model of care for a low-income country.