‘Don’t stigmatise Hepatitis C victims’
Three medical specialists who were resource speakers at the international workshop ‘HCV Screening and Linkage to Care & Substance Users Practical View’ in Dubai over the weekend, are encouraging people infected with Hepatitis C Virus ( HCV) especially the high risk not to be stigmatised and come out in order to be treated.
The workshop identified the high risk as the intravenous drug/substance users even from 20 years back, known as people who inject drugs (PWIDS).
The workshop was conducted since in many setings worldwide, including the Middle East and North Africa, more than half of the PWIDS are infected with HCV. Morbidity and mortality due to HCV infection leading to liver diseases/ cancer continue to rise.
Abu Dhabi National Rehabilitation Centre (Adnrc)-treatment and Rehabilitation director Dr. Tarek Abdelgawad believes these individuals are going to receive much beter healthcare support systems and services if internists, hepatologists, general practitioners, nurses and psychiatrists periodically immerse themselves with continuous education for policy and therapy updates because proper and correct diagnosis is “crucial.”
He believes “a service mapping in the area that would help these healthcare providers connect and establish referral system needs as well as additional planning and education” is also a way forward.
Based on the respective organisation data of the four interviewees, up to 99 per cent of the PWIDS are men between the ages of 20 and 50 who began injecting with drugs and other substances even before mid-adolescence.
“We are starting to see more patients who are 15 or 16 years old. This means they have started abusing drugs even at an earlier age,” said Abdelgawad.
Rashid Hospital (Dubai) Gastroenterology & Hepatology senior specialist Dr. Huda Al Quraishi said Dubai Health Authority ( DHA) has developed a programme for expatriates with HCV, in accordance to records revealing that majority of the health system’s patients are non-locals.
“Everyone has the right to be treated regardless of how they have acquired HCV. Everyone has a chance to be treated, but it is the will of the patient, if he wants to be treated or not.”
Al Quraishi expressed hope that the DHA programme against HCV is going to be adopted for the entire UAE.