The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced free Hepatitis C screening and treatment under the health plan of the Dubai Mandatory Health Insurance Scheme on 9 July 2018.

Hepatitis C is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which affects the liver. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that around 399,000 people die every year due to Hepatitis C throughout the world. Hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer since it is diagnosed only at a late stage.

Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General of the DHA, is in line with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. As per the UAE Vision 2021 Plan, the DHA intends to provide the best health services to all people living in Dubai.

Humaid Al Qutami said, “Ninety-eight percent of the population in Dubai has the mandatory health insurance scheme and thus focusing on preventive medicine through this scheme ensures wide coverage and directly benefits the community. The programme will especially help those with limited coverage; it will lead to early diagnosis and reduce complications and provide financial and emotional support to patients with Hepatitis C.”

Al Qutami announced that it was in December 2017 when Dubai became the first government body to cover the screening and treatment of three types of cancers. Ahmed Al Nuaimi, the CEO of Joint Corporate Support Services said, “This is yet another milestone in terms of health insurance coverage after we launched the Basmah initiative in 2017. Under this initiative, if a patient is detected with Hepatitis C, the DHA Patient Tracking and Follow-Up Centre is automatically notified. They ensure that the complete treatment process for the patient is smooth and streamlined.”