WHO renews Egypt’s gold-tier recognition for progress against hepatitis C

12:40

By: Azzat Manal

WHO renews Egypt’s gold-tier recognition for progress against hepatitis C

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed Egypt’s gold-tier recognition for its progress toward eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat, reaffirming the country’s continued efforts to control the disease and sustain the results achieved through its national health programmes.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Cairo held alongside the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attended the event with Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, as well as health officials and experts.

Tedros praised Egypt’s sustained commitment to tackling hepatitis C, describing the achievement as the result of long-term investment rather than a one-off success. He also stressed that targeted efforts against a specific disease can strengthen healthcare systems more broadly, delivering lasting benefits for future generations. Egypt was the first country to receive the WHO’s gold-tier recognition on the path toward eliminating hepatitis C.

Abdel Ghaffar said the renewed recognition builds on Egypt’s initial certification in October 2023. He noted that the government has continued implementing measures designed to preserve progress, reduce new infections and lower deaths associated with the virus.

According to figures presented by the Egyptian health authorities, more than 5.5 million blood units were screened between 2023 and 2025, alongside continued compliance with blood-safety measures. The country also provided 536 million safe, self-disabling injection devices as part of its efforts to reduce the risk of infection through unsafe medical practices.

The data cited by the minister showed that hepatitis C prevalence among people aged 15 to 59 declined from 0.38% to 0.28%. Deaths linked to the disease also fell by 54% compared with 2018, highlighting the reported impact of Egypt’s sustained prevention and treatment measures.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that affects the liver and can lead to serious complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, if left untreated. Although effective treatments are available, eliminating the disease as a public health threat requires continued testing, access to treatment, safe medical procedures and reliable monitoring.

The WHO’s regional committee meeting in Cairo brings together representatives from member states, health officials and specialists to discuss major health priorities across the Eastern Mediterranean. Topics include stronger healthcare systems, wider access to essential services, the prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and improved preparedness for health emergencies.

Egypt’s renewed recognition highlights the importance of maintaining public health programmes beyond their initial achievements. Continued surveillance, safe healthcare practices and access to diagnosis and treatment will remain essential to sustaining progress against hepatitis C.