Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) have found that half of people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with the majority having an active infection and in need of treatment.
The research, published in the prestigious journal Addiction, estimated that over 220,000 people who currently inject drugs have active HCV infection. The largest numbers were found in Iran at 68,000, followed by Pakistan at 46,000, and Egypt at 33,000, according to a statement issued yesterday by WCM-Q.
The study further showed that there was no decline in infection levels in recent years. This persistence of HCV infection levels suggests that interventions targeting this population are either non-existent or have insufficient coverage levels to achieve a meaningful impact.
Sarwat Mahmud, WCM-Q epidemiologist and first author of the study said: “With these study results, we are now able to provide guidance on strategies to maximise the benefits of the advent of the new HCV drugs that are now available. This can prevent or minimise the costly HCV complications among drug users in the Mena region, a region where many countries are struggling with limited resources. It should also be noted that the scale of this public health challenge may be even greater than this study suggests, as the estimates in the study include only those who are currently injecting drugs.”
Hiam Chemaitelly, co-author of the study and senior epidemiologist at WCM-Q said: “HCV public health efforts in the region need to prioritise populations most affected by HCV. We cannot escape the need for harm reduction programmes and for testing and treatment services among people who inject drugs, which are common practice in other parts of the world and have contributed significantly to reducing HCV and HIV infection levels in these populations.”
Dr Laith Abu-Raddad, principal investigator of the study and professor of healthcare policy and research at WCM-Q said: “Without an appropriate public health response, the healthcare system in the region will continue to endure serious and costly health complications of HCV infection in terms of liver diseases and cancer.”