According to Jazan Health Affairs, during the first half of 1439H., primary healthcare centers at the southern sector have received around 402,452 patients at the general clinics, 14,171 at dental clinics and 6,536 at Gynecology clinics, as well as 21,316 outpatients registered at the healthy child clinic. The services were provided through 40 healthcare centers.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has recently started implementing the second phase of the National Program for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Detection and Treatment. As well, MOH has launched an awareness campaign entitled (Give Your Hand), which features several awareness materials to be posted on social media. “During the past two years, MOH has provided a number of quality drugs to treat HCV, while giving priority to sophisticated cases or those transmitting infections to other. The introduction of locally produced world-class drugs has help expand the scope of treatment in an unprecedented way; thus, removing priority barriers. In addition, the Program trains both doctors and coordinators, and provides lab and radiology test, as well as the logistic services needed for its implementation.
It is noteworthy that hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes both acute and chronic infection. Acute HCV infection is usually asymptomatic. About 15–30% of infected persons spontaneously clear the virus. The remaining will develop chronic HCV infection, which may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer in some cases. HCV can be cured using new direct-acting antiviral medicines recently made available, which have proven effective with more than 95% recovery percentage. However, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.