The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom, said that the organization is looking forward to the day when it will reach the rates reached by Egypt in combating hepatitis C and saluted Egypt for its success in this endeavour, Middle East 24 reported Sunday.

He added, during a speech during the activities of the first African medical conference and exhibition, “Africa Health ExCon”, that hepatitis B and C infect 3 million people annually and lead to the death of more than 1,100,000 people.

He stressed the importance of making efforts to reduce the incidence of hepatitis B and C in Africa, adding, “We are making progress in reducing cancers and cirrhosis of the liver, but many countries and regions still do not have access to treatment for this disease.”

He stated that it requires many strategies to confront hepatitis C and AIDS, adding: “We have the tools to reach the required goals with a degree of 90%, and it is important that everyone reach the possibility of treatment.”

The activities of the first African medical conference and exhibition, “Africa Health ExCon”, kicked off this morning under the auspices and in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

The exhibition will be held from June 5-7 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (Al-Manara Center for International Conferences), with the participation of more than 102 countries.