HEPATITIS c Virus prevention IN EGYPT
Reducing Transmission by Reducing Exposure
                                                                                                                                                                      
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Changing prevention from people to providers
HCV Awareness Programs In Egypt Do Not Work

Here are some important Facts about how HCV is spread:

A good example is when a person gets and injection.

In this example the person does not know it but they are infected with HCV. The needle and syringe now have HCV virus from the infected person. If the needle or syringe is used again to give another injection, that person will now get infected from the needle and or the syringe. 


Anytime a medical or dental instrument is used on one person and then used on another person without cleaning and sterilizing the instrument, it can infect another person with HCV. We call this exposure to HCV. Almost everyone in Egypt who has HCV has been infected by a medical or dental instrument which has not be properly cleaned and sterilized or by needles and syringes which should only be used once and then destroyed.


Use Needles and Syringes Only Once

The many HCV awareness programs in Egypt have been misdirect, provide incorrect information, and do not sufficiently address HCV stigma.

Prevention of HCV in must be re-directed from people and patients to the PROVIDERS. Providers mean health care providers. That is anyone and or the location of health care services including medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and related services. 

This means that people who use health care services must realize that these faculties and the doctors, nurses and other assistances may not the take the necessary care to prevent you the patient from getting infected by HCV. 

Here on this page is advise on how to prevent becoming infected with HCV: Because there is no vaccine to prevent HCV infection: it is important that you:

  1. Understand how, in Egypt, the formal and informal medical and dental care delivery system is where prevention is most important.
  2. Learn the simple ways (see below) that can prevent or stop HCV infection from one person to another person.
  3. Use that knowledge to protect yourself, your family, your friends, and the people around you.
  4. Share that knowledge.  Speak to others around you and tell them to tell others that they can help prevent HCV.

Health Care PROVIDERS: The most likely place where a person in Egypt can be exposed to blood (that is contact with blood) and therefore exposed HCV infection is by a health care provider. This includes all medical and dental care providers and their assistants. Nurses, pharmacy assistants and dental assistants can be very careless. Being aware of this will help protect you from being infected.   Infection with HCV may be by a medical or dental instrument contaminated with the blood from the other person and used again without cleaning it or disinfecting it. 

Other examples that can cause infection is when diabetic people share their blood sugar monitoring equipment.  You should not share razors, tooth brushes, or cosmetic care equipment with people around you.

Drugs in Multi Dose Vials: Many drugs are in small glass bottles called Vials.    

Infection from contaminated multi-dose drug vials:

Infection from contaminated multi-dose vials: many antibiotics and other drugs that are given by injection can be contaminated with hepatitis C virus from a multi-dose vial. If a multi-dose vial becomes contaminated with HCV everyone else receiving an injection from that multi-dose vial  will become infected with HCV. Each time a multi-dose vial is used a new needle and a new syringe has to be used. Otherwise the vial can become contaminated. Visit this link to learn more Click here


 You cannot become infected from 


There is no justification for a person to divorce, lose their job, or friends because  they have HCV.
There is no justification to be tested for HCV when applying for a job. Any job. Testing people for employment is WRONG.


Remember it is safe to donate blood in
Egypt.

Sexual transmission of HCV is rare. That is having sex almost never infects the other person.

Nevertheless, everyone should always take precautions to prevent sexually transmitted infections.  Click here for additional information about preventing sexually transmitted infections.

Understand how to avoid Iatrogenic Infections

Visit the Centers for Disease Control Hepatitis C web site for more questions and answers.
To improve our web site and to better understand its users, we would very much appreciate any feedback from you email us at hcv.egypt@gmail.com  or click here.

For Egyptian Health and Dental Care Professionals

The reduction of HCV transmission will require a reduction in exposure to infection. Reducing exposure will require that all persons working in the health care sector including dental care, nursing, pharmaceuticals and all those who are assisting these professional will need to improve infection control and practice safe injection procedures and aseptic technique.