Must educate drug users on Hepatitis C

There is a need to educate drug users and tattoo lovers on the dangers of Hepatitis C, a silent and slow killer, doctors warned on Wednesday. On the eve of World Hepatitis Day on Thursday, a leading heptologist from Abu Dhabi said there was a stigma against Hepatitis C (HCV) virus carriers, which hinders them from getting jobs. It is also difficult for those who are infected to get married because of the close-knit society here which helps spread the prejudice against carriers. A consensus statement on HCV in the region was released yesterday at a press conference and it was recommended that a programme should be developed to prevent and diagnose HCV. Article continues below Doctors said (HCV) is a bigger killer than Aids (Acquired Immuno Defiency Syndrome) and is a growing problem among IV (intra-venous) users. Unlike Aids, Hepatitis C is curable, the doctors said. But there is no vaccine to prevent HCV. "We are lucky to catch them before it progresses to liver cirrhosis and liver failure," said Dr Salem Awad Al Kathiry, consultant hepatologist at Al Mafraq Hospital. He said for every drug user, he helps bring in 15 to 20 friends who share needles. The doctor said the reason why HCV (genotype1) is prevalent in the UAE is because blood used to be imported into the country from the US before 1992, when the virus was discovered. He said the other reason is because of some unhygienic dental clinics. "We have helped pinpoint them," he said. Public health There are 9.2 million infected people in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, said Dr David Goldberg, professor of public health and infectious disease epidemiology, Scotland. One of the risks of transmission in the Mena region is because of traditional practices as body piercing, scarification and going to "dodgy tattoo artists". The professor said awareness of the infection should start in schools.