EGYPT – A women Health Initiative by Egypt’s health and population ministry has reached a clinical milestone of screening 23,906,809 women for breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
The Women Health Initiative programme was launched in July 2019 to offer screening services to females aged above 18 at 3,538 healthcare units and 114 hospitals nationwide.
Under the Initiative, women diagnosed with breast cancer receive free of charge treatment at 14 university hospitals and 14 centers affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Population.
Egypt has also carried out a nationwide campaign for the early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C, providing free treatment to all diagnosed citizens in need while following up on individuals suffering from liver cirrhosis.
The campaign comes after a member of the National Committee for Combating Hepatitis Viruses Gamal Essmat stated that some former hepatitis C patients developed liver cirrhosis which in turn raised liver cancer cases.
The health initiative includes hepatectomy and thermal radiation aimed at early diagnosis of liver cancer which makes the survival rate higher thus every four months, the liver cirrhosis patient is expected to undergo an ultrasound and blood tests.
Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Population announced earlier in April that 10,837,000 students at elementary schools were screened for anemia, obesity and stunting since the beginning of academic year 2021/2022.
“The screening is carried out by measuring the weight, height and hemoglobin level in blood hence if malnutrition is diagnosed, the medical team provides the patient with a suitable dietary plan,” the health ministry reported.
For instance, Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawky said that school meals would be customized to meet the health conditions of children and those suffering from anemia or stunting would be offered different nutritious meals.
The ministry disclosed that the target for the year is 15 million Egyptian and non-Egyptian pupils studying at 29,444 private and public elementary schools nationwide.
In addition, the Ministry of Health and Population announced that a hearing survey has been conducted for 2,854,764 newborns as part of a presidential initiative launched in September 2019 for early detection and treatment of hearing loss and impairment for newborns.
Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said about 167,970 children would be re-examined a week after the first screening at the same health unit while some 16,758 children were referred after the second test to 30 hospitals and referral centers nationwide.
The spokesman explained that the children are referred for higher evaluation and the start of medical treatment, for the installation of a hearing aid or the transfer of the child for cochlear implant in accordance to his/her condition.
He added that the number of examination centers were increased to cover 3,500 health units across all governorates to conduct audiological examinations for children from the day of birth to the age of 25 days.
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