Kampala, Uganda: A controversy has erupted following an exchange between Minister Muhanga and Dr. Nicholas Kamara regarding the existence of a Hepatitis C vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, Minister of State for Primary Health Care Margaret Muhanga acknowledged the presence of Hepatitis C in Uganda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also revealed that Egypt had promised to provide Uganda with a vaccine for the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muhanga’s remarks were in response to concerns raised by Jesca Ababiku, the Adjumani Woman MP. Ababiku urged the Ministry to guarantee that reagents and medicines for treating Hepatitis C are available, particularly in Adjumani district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ababiku highlighted the challenges faced by Hepatitis C patients, including the high cost of treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We lack reagents, and samples are sent to Kampala for testing at a cost of Shs 250,000 each. Treatment doses cost between Shs1.8M to Shs 2M, making it unaffordable for many,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Margaret Muhanga stated that Egypt had found treatment options and assured that she would gather more details and give a report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Egypt last year promised a vaccine for Hepatitis C and actually they had and they have also found some treatment for it, and I will find the details and bring a report here. But we were already in touch with the Ministry of Health of Egypt who were helping us in the fight against Hepatitis C.” said Margaret Muhanga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Nicholas Kamara (Kabale Municipality), a medical doctor by profession refuted Minister Muhanga’s claims that a vaccine for Hepatitis C is available, stating that this information is incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Minister of Health has said, there is a vaccine for Hepatitis C yet Hepatitis C doesn\u2019t have a vaccine. This is wrong information, I don\u2019t know whether we are proceeding well with the Minister, of a big Ministry of Health giving us wrong information that there is a vaccine for Hepatitis C.\u201d said Nicholas Kamara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister Muhanga responded by clarifying that she had mentioned efforts in Egypt to develop a vaccine for Hepatitis C, which is now under trial or manufacture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Hepatitis C can cause both acute and chronic infections, with some people recovering on their own while others develop life-threatening complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization notes that while vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B, development of an HCV vaccine has been challenging due to the virus’s high variability and rapid mutation rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of persons with Hepatitis C infection, reducing the risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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