Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Hepatitis
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- Egypt has become the first country to achieve the World Health Organization’s “gold tier” status on the path to elimination of Hepatitis C.
About Hepatitis
| Hepatitis A | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | |
| Causative Virus | Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) | Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) | Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) |
| Transmission | Fecal-oral route (contaminated food/water) | Blood and body fluids (unsafe sex, sharing needles) | Blood-to-blood contact (sharing needles, transfusions) |
| Vaccine Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chronic Infection | No (usually acute) | Yes (can become chronic) | Yes (often becomes chronic) |
| Symptoms | Mild flu-like symptoms, jaundice | Variable, from none to severe symptoms | Often asymptomatic, but can lead to liver damage |
| Chronic Complications | None | Cirrhosis, liver cancer | Cirrhosis, liver cancer |
| Preventable by Vaccine | Yes | Yes | No |
| Treatment | Supportive care | Antiviral medications | Antiviral medications |
Egypt’s “Gold Tier” Status
- Stringent Criteria: To reach the “gold tier,” Egypt fulfilled specific criteria, including ensuring 100% blood and injection safety, providing a minimum of 150 needles/syringes annually for people who inject drugs, diagnosing over 80% of individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), treating over 70% of diagnosed HCV patients, and establishing a surveillance program for hepatitis sequelae, including liver cancer.
- Exemplary Results: Egypt has diagnosed 87% of its hepatitis C patients and provided curative treatment to 93% of those diagnosed, surpassing the WHO’s gold tier targets.
How did Egypt achieve this?
- “100 Million Healthy Lives” Initiative: Egypt’s ambitious initiative led to a substantial reduction in hepatitis C prevalence, from 10% in 2016 to 5% in 2018 and an estimated less than 1% in 2019, as reported by the Africa CDC.
- Leadership Role: Egypt extends support to other African countries, aiming to replicate its success in hepatitis C elimination, including enhancing access to affordable treatment.
Try this PYQ:
Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a) Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV.
(b) Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine.
(c) Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV.
(d) Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years.
Post your answers here.
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b
b
B
option – B