JEDDAH, 2 June 2004 — The incidence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Saudi Arabia is estimated at between 2.6 to 5 percent of the population, mainly among older men. Of that number, 1.6 percent develop liver damage.

“Whatever the incidence, nursing has to be in the frontline in the battle against hepatitis,” said Sandra Jackson, perioperative nursing education coordinator at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh. Jackson was speaking at a hepatology workshop for nurses at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah yesterday.

“All in the nursing profession need to have advanced knowledge about hepatitis, its treatment and the precautions against it,” she added.

She said nurses could contribute in many ways to the research and development of plans to combat hepatitis which claims 500,000 lives annually and has been acknowledged by the United Nations, along with HIV, as the greatest health issue in the world today.

“Almost 50 percent of liver transplants today in Saudi Arabia, as elsewhere in the world, are in Hepatitis C cases,” Jackson said. “A liver is hard to come by and transplantation is expensive so we are trying to prevent the possibility of liver transplants. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne disease. It is important that nurses do not transfer this disease to patients because of poor standards. Unsafe practices lead to the spread of the disease.”

Nurses must be vigilant to ensure that cross infection does not occur. She emphasized that the discovery of chronic hepatitis is a life-altering event. Patients need emotional support. Nurses can build trust and provide education for patients and families.

“New drugs and clinical trials are being continually introduced and nurses need to keep up-to-date. Knowledge and understanding of the disease process are important tools for nurses in caring for HCV patients,” Jackson said.

“HCV is still a problem here and is associated with other risk factors such as previous blood transfusions, hence the importance of education and awareness initiatives throughout the Kingdom,” she said. The first workshop was organized at KFSH & RC in Riyadh last month.