Hepatitis C virus’ infection rate to slip by 90% in Saudi Arabia in 2030

Taha Sakr

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health confirmed on Thursday that the new testing campaign launched recently in the Kingdom for the hepatitis C virus would prevent a 90 percent increase in new infections by 2030.

According to the Saudi channel of Al-Arabyia, the ministry said on the sidelines of its awareness campaign launched this week under the slogan “# Hat_idk” (Give us your hand) that the new treatment of hepatitis C will contribute to save about (4000) patients from direct death due to complications of the virus.

The new treatment also helps to reduce the number of cases of liver cancer that results due to the virus by 95%, and will reduce the direct expenses required to care for the virus patients to 50% by 2027, in addition to the number of new infections by 90%.

The Ministry of Health pointed out that the traditional treatment will increase number of cases of liver cancer to (520) annually by 2030, an increase of 210%, besides increasing cases of liver failure to (1600) cases by 2030 with an increase estimated at 420%, in addition to increasing the number of direct deaths due to complications of the virus to 580 cases per year by 2030 by 290%.