Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2018; 24(27): 3038-3054
Published online Jul 21, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i27.3038
Table 1 Hepatitis C antibody prevalence evidence gap mapping with quality assessment, North Africa and Pakistan
AlgeriaDjiboutiEgyptLibyaMoroccoSudanTunisiaPakistan
Blood donors0.2% (1992-1993)10.3% (1998-2000)11.7%-16.8% (2006-2009)10.9%-6.6% (1992-2001)10.2%-0.8% (2005-2011)10.0%-1.3% (2005-2007)10.1%-0.9% (2000-2010)10.2%-8.6% (2000-2006)1
Pregnant women0.6% (2008)1No data8.6%-12.7% (-)30.4%-2.3% (-)31.0% (-)20.6% (2006)10.2% (2006)15.3% (2001-2006)1
ChildrenNo dataNo data2.1%-5.8% (2002-2005)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data1.7% (-)2
Hemodialysis, renal dialysis, and/or dialysis patients39.0% (-)3No data46.1%-100% (2002-2009)132.3% (2009-2010)154.1%-68.3% (2003-2004)18.5%-23.7% (2005-2010)114.6%-32.6% (2000-2002)138.8% (2003-2005)1
Hemophiliac or other bleeding disorder patients30.0% (2010-2011)2No dataNo dataNo data2.3%-42.4% (1981-2006)113.0% (2008)255.7% (-)225.0%-56.0% (2000-2002)1
Transfused patientsNo dataNo data11.1%-81.6% (2000-2008)110.8% (1999-2001)1No dataNo data4.7% (2008-2009)113.2%-15.4% (2002)1
Thalassemic patientsNo dataNo data19.5%-69.6% (2000-2010)1No data68.3%-76.0% (-)3No data6.1% (-)236.2-56.8% (1999-2003)1
Patients with hepatocellular carcinomaNo dataNo data85.9% (1997-2004)1No data57.3% (2003-2006)211.0% (1996-1998)119.0%-63.5% (1982-< 1995)253.7% (-)2
Patients with acute liver diseaseNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data0.0% (1999)16.3% (2007)28.0%-48.0% (< 1995)3No data
Patients with chronic liver diseaseNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data73.7% (1983-1986)2No data80.5% (2005-2008)20.0%-86.6% (2000-2005)1
Healthcare workersNo dataNo dataNo data2.0%-6.8% (1992-2001)1No data0.0% (2005-2007)11.0% (2005)15.6%-6.0% (2001-2002)1
BarbersNo dataNo data12.3% (-)3No data1.1%-5.0% (2001-2007)1No dataNo dataNo data
Contact of patients with hepatitis CNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data4.3%-38.0% (2000-2004)1
People who inject drugsNo dataNo data63.0% (-)294.2% (2010)122.9%-79.2% (2010-2012)1No data21.7%-29.1% (2009-2012)157.0% (-)2
PrisonersNo dataNo dataNo data23.7% (2006)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Patients with HIV and/or other sexually transmitted infectionNo dataNo dataNo data44.9%-54.1% (2003)15.4% (2006-2010)11.7% (2010-2012)135.5% (1997-2006)1No data
Sex workersNo dataNo dataNo data5.2%-7.3% (2010-2011)1No data0.0%-5.1% (2011-2012)11.1% (2007)1No data
Men who have sex with menNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data0.0%-5.9% (2011-2012)1No dataNo data
Prevalence, year of data collection.
1Good quality;
2Average quality;
3Poor quality.
Table 2 Hepatitis C antibody prevalence evidence gap mapping with quality assessment, Arab Peninsula
BahrainKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesYemen
Blood donorsNo data0.8%-1.2% (nationals) (2002) 5.4%-13.5% (migrants) (2002)10.4%-0.7% (2006-2011)11.1% (nationals and migrants) 0.5%(nationals) (-)20.0%-5.6% (nationals and migrants, 1988-2009) 0.4%-4.2% (nationals, 1990-2009) 0.0%-34.0% (migrant, 1990-2002)10.5%-1.1% (2004-2009)11.7% (2005)1
Pregnant womenNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data0.1%-4.6% (1989-2002)113.0%-13.4% (migrants) (1994-1996)13.3%-8.5% (2011)1
ChildrenNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data0.7%-1.8% (1989-2002)1No data2.1% (2007-2009)1
Hemodialysis, renal dialysis, and/or dialysis patients9.2% (-)327.0%-71.0% (1992-1995)126.5% (1991)144.6% (-)214.7%-78.2% (1995-2008)124.4% (1991-1993)140.0%-62.7% (1997-2013)1
Hemophiliac or other bleeding disorder patients60.0% (1992)2No dataNo dataNo data78.6% (-)3No dataNo data
Transfused patientsNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data4.6%-78.6% (1990-2011)1No dataNo data
Thalassemic patientsNo data33.0% (1965-1995)1No dataNo data12.7%-70.0% (1990-2000)118.8% (1990-2001)2No data
Patients with hepatocellular carcinomaNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data48.5% (2006-2008)1No data28.4%-38.2% (2001-2010)1
Patients with acute liver diseaseNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data3.4%-40.7% (2000-2005)11.2% (2006-2007)16.4%-8.8% (1997-1999)1
Patients with chronic liver diseaseNo data37.8% (-)2No data29.4 (2000-2005)111.9%-65.0% (1989-2004)143.7% (-)233.8% (-)3
Healthcare workersNo data0.9% (-)20.0% (-)2No data0.0%-0.3% (2001-2005)1No data1.1%-3.5% (-)3
BarbersNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Contact of patients with hepatitis CNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data0.0%-1.6% (-)227.0% (1994-1996)1No data
People who inject drugsNo dataNo data48.1% (2011)1No data14.4%-54.7% (1995-2004)1No dataNo data
PrisonersNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Patients with HIV and/or other sexually transmitted infectionNo data0.9%(2012)1No dataNo data12.0%-15.9% (1985-2010)1No dataNo data
Sex workersNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Men who have sex with menNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Prevalence, year of data collection.
1Good quality;
2Average quality;
3Poor quality.
Table 3 Hepatitis C antibody prevalence evidence gap mapping with quality assessment, Fertile Crescent region
IraqJordanLebanonPalestineSyria
General population0.0%-4.0 % (2004-2012)1No data0.6%-2.9% (-)2No data2.8% (2004)1
Blood donors0.2%-2.8% (2003-2013)10.1%-0.9% (2003-2011)10.0%-3.4% (< 2003)10.2%-0.3% (2003-2013)10.4% (2000-2011)1
Pregnant women0.0%-5.1% (2004-2010)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Children0.0% (2007-2009)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Hemodialysis, renal dialysis, and/or dialysis patients4.9%-42.6% (2002-2011)121.0%-49.8% (2003-2008)116.0%-27.0% (-)217.9%-27.4% (2007-2013)121.0% (2006)1
Hemophiliac or other bleeding disorder patients6.7%-40.3% (2006-2012)1No data10.0% (-)3No data20.5% (2007-2011)1
Transfused patients3.4%-4.5% (2004-2008)1No dataNo dataNo data13.3% (2000)2
Thalassemic patients4.0%-46.0% (2003-2012)132.8% (2008)10.0%-14.0% (> 1999)1No dataNo data
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma26.1% (2000-2003)2No data19.6% (1998-2003)2No dataNo data
Patients with acute liver disease0.0%-71.9% (2007-2011)1No dataNo dataNo data1.0%(1995-1998)1
Patients with chronic liver disease3.8%-62.0% (2005-2009)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Healthcare workers0.0%-9.1% (2002-2010)10.7% (1999)10.4% (1999)1No data3.0%-3.8% (-)2
Barbers0.3% (1999-2001)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
Contact of patients with hepatitis C1.2%-1.4% (1996-2001)1No dataNo dataNo dataNo data
People who inject drugsNo dataNo data52.8% (2007-2008)145.2% (2010)160.5% (-)3
Prisoners0.6% (1996-2001)1No data3.4% (-)3No dataNo data
Patients with HIV and/or other sexually transmitted infection1.2% (-)2No data7.7% (-)3No dataNo data
Sex workersNo dataNo data0.0% (2007-2008)1No data2.0% (-)2
Men who have sex with menNo dataNo data0.0% (2007-2008)1No dataNo data
Prevalence, year of data collection.
1Good quality;
2Average quality;
3Poor quality.
Table 4 Hepatitis C antibody incidence and/or seroconversion risk rate relative to the total sample size, and evidence gap mapping, Middle East and North Africa
CountrySystematic reviewLiterature search periodNumber of studies identifiedNumber of subjectsPopulation typeEstimation time periodHCV incidence rate (per 1000 person-year)Loss of follow-upHCV sero-conversion risk (%)Duration of follow-up
AlgeriaFadlalla, 2015[52]1980-Unknown00
LibyaFadlalla, 2015[52]1980-Unknown00
MoroccoFadlalla, 2015[52]1980-Unknown1303Hemodialysis patients2003-200497---
TunisiaFadlalla, 2015[52]1980-Unknown1276Hemodialysis patients2000-200228---
DjiboutiChaabna, 2016[27]Inception-201500
SudanChaabna, 2016[27]Inception-201500
EgyptHussein, 2016[48]Inception-Unknown----6.9---
Mohamoud, 2013[61]Inception-Unknown22852Children of villages with high HCV prevalence2000-20062.7---
Mohamoud, 2013[61]Inception-Unknown310318General population1997-20030.8-6.8---
Mohamoud, 2013[61]Inception-Unknown12177Pregnant women1997-20065.2---
Sievert, 2011[50]Unknown--Pregnant women-5.2---
PakistanSievert, 2011[50]Unknown00
Table 5 Hepatitis C antibody incidence and/or sero-conversion risk rate relative to the total sample size, and evidence gap mapping, Middle East and North Africa
CountrySystematic reviewLiterature search periodNumber of studies identifiedNumber of subjectsPopulation typeEstimation time periodHCV incidence rate (per 1000 person-year)Loss of follow-upHCV sero-conversion risk (%)Duration of follow-up
IraqChemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015157Hemodialysis patients2009-040.312 mo
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-20151123Pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia2007-03.230 mo (median)
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015126Newborn to HCV infected women--006 mo
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015185Pediatric cancer patients on chemotherapy2006-2007-223.212 mo
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015160Healthy children2007-2009-006 mo
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015129Pediatric patients with leukemia on chemotherapy2007-2009-03.56 mo
Chemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-2015127Pediatric patients with leukemia who have had their baseline screening prior to chemotherapy2007-2009-006 mo
LebanonChemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-201500
PalestineChemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-201500
JordanChemaitelly, 2015[33]1985-201511300Hemodialysis patients2003--9.212 mo
SyriaBashour, 2016[91]Unknown00
Sievert, 2011[50]Unknown00
United Arab EmiratesMohamoud, 2016[59]Unknown1-Hemodialysis patients1995108---
YemenChaabna, 2016[27]Inception-201500