One million and half Algerians suffering Chronic Hepatitis C in danger due to the scarcity of drugs

Most of the Algerian hospitals noticed a scarcity of medicines for the treatment of people suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C for more than three months, as one million and half Algerians living with this disease did not receive the required quantity since the beginning of the current year.

• Head of the Association of  Chronic Hepatitis C Patients, Boualak Abdelhamid, warned of the danger which threatened lives of a million and half Algerians who did not receive a treatment for more than three months due to a scarcity of injection “Interferon” in the central pharmacy of hospitals and private pharmacies, since such costly drugs are given by hospitals for free under the government’s strategy.
• “A list of approximately 1000 patients was sent to the Minister of Health, Population and Reform Hospitals, in order to ensure their urgent treatment in light of the deterioration of their health through providing injection therapy”, he says.
• The general manager of the Central Pharmacy of hospitals, Dr Dellih, explained that the file of scarcity of Interferon injections is under study and the follow-up by the Health Ministry in order to import the required quantity during the next few days”.
• Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usually spread by blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle sticks. HCV causes most transfusion-associated hepatitis, and the damage it does to the liver can lead to cirrhosis and cancer. Transmission of the virus by sexual contact is rare. At least half of HCV patients develop chronic hepatitis C infection. Diagnosis is by blood test. Treatment is via anti-viral drugs. Chronic hepatitis C may be treated with interferon, sometimes in combination with anti-virals. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. Previously known as non-A, non-B hepatitis.