Lionel Messi, the Argentinian top scorer and Barcelona’s acclaimed player, has saluted Egypt’s success in its programme to treat hepatitis C virus. “After Egypt succeeded in treating more than a million patients with hepatitis C virus, Egypt has led the whole world in its battle against this,” said Messi in Spanish and English on his official Facebook page, which is followed by nearly 90 million people worldwide.
“Finally, there is an effective and affordable treatment for patients to treat Hepatitis C,” he told each individual in his audience. “What are you waiting for to join us in eradicating this disease?”
His words are #TourNCure and #StopTheWait in reference to the Egyptian medical tourism program Tour n’ Cure, which aims to treat HCV patients from all over the world in Egypt, offering them a tourist package into the bargain. Messi was chosen by Egypt as an ambassador for the medical tourist project.
Egypt’s experience in the treatment of hepatitis C virus has been appreciated worldwide.
In 2014, the World Health Oranisation (WHO) pronounced Egypt the country of highest incidence of HCV in the world, with 9.8 per cent of its population infected. That same year, a Plan of Action was drawn by Egypt’s health experts and officials and, in 2016, the nationwide plan was put to action. By December 2017, a million patients had been treated and cured, according to figures by the Health Ministry. [For full coverage: https://en.wataninet.com/features/health/egypt-battles-liver-disease-its-either-us-or-virus-c/18641/]
The affordable, locally-produced medication led Egypt to launch its Tour n’ Cure campaign that offered HCV patients the world over the opportunity for affordable treatment in Egypt plus an attractive tourist package which it labelled “Tour n’ Cure”. [https://en.wataninet.com/features/tourism/tour-n-curemedical-tourism-in-egypt/18862/]
In February 2017, Messi paid Egypt a one-day visit to promote Tour n’ Cure.
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has launched a campaign “Egypt Hepatitis C-free in 2020” under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Population, and with participation of Prime Pharma pharmaceutical company and numerous NGOs.
Watani International
25 February 2018