Title:
Addressing Access to Hepatitis C Interferon Services in Egypt
Authors:
Abdelwadoud, Moaz
Year:
2013
PAGE:
xi, 63
Language:
En
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Keywords:
Hepatitis C, HCV, Access, Barriers, Interferon, Egypt
Abstract:
Background: Egypt possesses the far highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world. HCV current and future burden is challenging the Egyptian health system. Methods: Literature review was done using a two-steps approach: identification of factors at national level, then reviewing the best practices to address them. Results: Barriers to interferon (IFN) services are: high burden of HCV with budgetary constraints, silent nature of the disease, absence of well-structured and integrated counselling and referral services, negative attitude of people living with HCV (PLWHCV) and their providers, fake remedies and misbeliefs surrounding HCV, stigma, gender vulnerability, narrow scale children services, financial costs affecting the poor, bureaucracy and long administrative procedures, insufficient competencies of providers, lack of proper awareness and preparedness for side effects, and low efficacy of IFN. Enabling factors favouring opportunities are: Egyptian government commitment, well-organized programme, availability of subsidized schemes for IFN, well-established health information system, and relatively high awareness about the presence of HCV among general population. Conclusion and recommendations: Influencing factors are interacting and closely linked. Concentrating resources on one factor while neglecting the others will never lead to perceptible improvement. Efforts are recommended to focus on comprehensiveness and integration of care, strengthening health information system to provide a national registry for PLWHCV, support adherence and improve quality of care, simplification of administrative procedures, capacity building of providers, enforcement of social and biomedical research, raising awareness among high risk groups, and fighting fake remedies.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institue)
Department:
Development Policy & Practice
Country:
Egypt, Arab Republic of
Region:
Middle East
Training:
Master of Public Health / International Course in Health Development (ICHD)
Category:
Research
Right:
© 2013 Abdelwadoud
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
RZ4IuXSbHy_20161026133557944.pdf