The Ministry of Health announced at a press conference yesterday its launch of a national project to treat children infected by Hepatitis C through free distribution of the anti-viral drugs Interferon and Ribavirin. "The project, in collaboration with the Egyptian Association for the Care of Patients with Liver Disease, will cover eligible children between the ages of three and 18," said Dr. Waheed Doss, head of the National Liver Institute, at the press conference. He added that the anti-viral medication will be distributed at the ILED center on Qasr el-Ainy Street in Cairo, and five other centers around Egypt. Khaled Qabeel, executive director for the project, said the preparatory phases began in November 2009 and the project will start being implemented next May. According to statements from the assistant minister of health for political communication, Abdel Hameed Abaza, the project was developed by Dr. Manal Hamdi el-Sayyed, professor of pediatrics at Cairo University, and has a budget of LE7,000,000. Abaza added that the project will start by treating 5000 children across Egypt, with the cost of each treatment ranging from LE15,000 to LE20,000.
