Baku:Egypt has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first country to retain the World Health Organization's (WHO) gold-tier status in its efforts to eliminate hepatitis C. This recognition follows a comprehensive review of the nation's prevention, testing, and treatment programs.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the WHO confirmed this achievement after assessing Egypt's progress from 2023 to 2025. The organization's regional validation committee approved the assessment in July 2026. Egypt initially achieved gold-tier status in 2023, successfully reducing hepatitis C prevalence from around 10% to less than 0.38% over a decade.

This success is attributed to Egypt's 100 Million Healthy Lives campaign, which screened over 60 million people and treated more than 4.5 million hepatitis C patients. The country has transitioned from large-scale screening initiatives to integrating routine hepatitis C testing, diagnosis, and treatment into its permanent healthcare system.

Furthermore, Egypt has expanded its hepatitis services through primary healthcare and universal health insurance. It has also enhanced disease surveillance, laboratory standards, and blood safety measures. A national plan supports these efforts, aiming to sustain the progress towards eliminating viral hepatitis with measures extending from 2025 to 2030.

The WHO has provided technical support to Egypt throughout this program, assisting in improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring efforts.