Egypt

Salt healing dating back to the Pharaohs gains popularity in Egypt

Africanews

In an apartment in one of Cairo’s neighbourhoods, visitors get an opportunity to meditate and relieve their negative energy with salt crystals.

Known as the Khofo salt cave, it’s ceiling is made entirely out of crystallized salt, and the floors are coated in layers of salt.
It is the brain- child Gomaa al- Agoury who graduated with a degree in Pharaonic Studies.

“We’re giving Egypt something new with this salt cave. The lighting inside the cave is done specifically so as to help with inner peace and decrease stress, insomnia and exhaustion. The music that is played is for healing, and the cave absorbs the negative energy because the salt absorbs negative energy,” he said.

The cave also offers salt-healing massages and salt baths, in addition to meditation sessions that have led to a regular flow of clientele.

“It is enough that when we enter a place like this, we leave everything behind, even our mobile phones are far away from us. We then find that all of our negative energy stored in our bodies is extracted from us and we feel inner peace, calm and serenity. It’s not that we’re just sitting in a salt cave, you can also have some time to sit and think about things that no one knows other than you and God,” said Amin Hamed, a customer.

For Gomaa, the cave has the potential of boosting medical tourism in Egypt.

“Currently Poland have started making salt rooms, and so have Finland and America, they have all started making salt rooms and even hotels, and have been marketing them for medical tourism. The former Soviet Union countries, like Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, used to have salt resorts which were visited by famous people from around the world, even famous people from Egypt used to visit to treat Psoriasis, eczema, and other skin and respiratory conditions, as well as psychological conditions, all of which happened at these natural resorts.”

A half- hour meditation session in which a half a dozen people can enter the chamber costs about 50 Egyptian pounds, while those wishing to do it alone must pay an extra 50 pounds. Which perhaps not so much for an experience intended to create an optimal atmosphere for calmness and contemplation.

via www.africanews.com

"Ten things friends and family said when I told them I was moving to Egypt," he said.

In its usual lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek tone of coverage, CairoScene.com published an article by Scot Thayer, a musician, audio producer, and science fiction writer who had moved to Cairo. When he told his relatives back in Upstate New York that he was moving to Cairo, their reactions were laughably preposterous. Accompanied by great illustrations by Ghanna Hashem, the article immediately caught my attention.

According to Thayer, himself, the comments were just “ignorant, kind of racist, Islamophobic crap”; still, as much as these comments were bizarre, they were exasperating, too, due to the level of ignorance they exposed.

Bemused by the fact that Thayer’s New York associates had very little knowledge of Cairo’s existence, its whereabouts, its modes of transportation, and its cultural backdrop, I decided I would enlighten these folks with responses that may clarify what a person about to visit Egypt for a short or long duration may face.

Here are the “Ten things friends and family said when I told them I was moving to Egypt” followed by my responses.

“Don’t steal anything, they’ll cut your hands off!”
For stealing, imprisonment or hard labour is the harshest punishment in Egypt. No Egyptian law stipulates cutting off someone’s hand. While we are at it, stoning an adulteress or practicing Jihad, defined as to go to war against non-Muslims to establish the religion, do not exist in Egypt.

Then again, why steal?

“Just don’t come back a Muslim!”
This rarely happens. Life in urban Cairo is cosmopolitan; visitors can enjoy bars, nightlife, and drinking. Foreigners do as they wish and please as long as it is not intrusive or offensive to others.

Of course, many religious traditions exist and are deeply felt in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt, and they are worth recognizing and celebrating: the prayer calls juxtaposed against the church bells, Friday morning’s deserted streets then the hustle and bustle after Friday prayers, and Ramadan and Eid festivities. All these wonderful aspects, deep-rooted in Egyptian culture, a visitor to Cairo would find exhilarating and elating. Enjoy them for they are celebrated in Egypt like in no other country.

“Watch out for the Taliban. You’ll fit right in with that beard.”

First, Egypt doesn’t have any Taliban roaming on its streets. Besides, a goatee or a full beard and moustache don’t construe much of a religious affiliation in this day and age. If it is disheveled and left unkempt, that’s when others may worry. So wear your beard with pride but keep it trimmed.

“You should totally ride a camel to work."

As absurd as this statement is, it reminds me of the time my daughter got asked by some Canadians if, while in Egypt, she lived in a small pyramid. No, Egyptians neither live in pyramid-like homes nor ride camels to work. Seldom do you see a camel on the streets of Cairo. If you do, believe me, the Egyptians around you will stare at it in exactly the same fashion as you would.

If you visit Siwa Oasis or the Western Desert, you may encounter camels. And for the fun of it, you should try riding one when you visit the Giza Pyramids. The camels roaming the area are solely for your delight.

“It’s going to be so boring there."

I doubt that very much. Cairo, in particular, is one of most vibrant cities on earth. In fact, chances are you won’t be able to catch up with Egyptians or match their energy for life. They avoid sleeping till the wee hours of the morning, socialize like no others, and party to their hearts’ content.

Tag along to someone’s wedding and see how gregarious these folks are, let them include you in their jokes and laugh to your heart’s content, and enjoy a hearty but inexpensive Egyptian meal after meal after meal.

At the same time, enjoy visiting the most glorious monuments on earth: the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Step Pyramid of Djoser, all within a step and a hop from one another.

And you may prefer to go to the best beaches in the world where you can enjoy the best diving and water sports, in addition to golfing, horseback riding, trekking, and jeep safaris only a few hours from good old Cairo.

“You know they’re not going to let you drink or eat bacon."
It has nothing to do with letting you drink or eat bacon. You can do what you please including drinking alcohol. Though hard liquor is extremely costly, wine and beer is served everywhere and, as everything else in Egypt, may be delivered to your doorstep if you so wish.

Bacon and similar pork cold cuts were available until very recently. However, with the mad cow disease, the target market for such products somehow disappeared, and people seem to have gone off them, so, yes, they may be hard to find since they aren’t something that Egyptians crave. Still, if you can’t live without bacon, some high-end stores carry pork products and certain districts, like Shobra, in Cairo, for example, sell pork products.

“Your girlfriend is going to have to wear a blanket with eye holes cut into it."
I doubt you would want to date a niqabbed girlfriend—one who wears a blanket with eye holes cut into it, and I doubt she would want to date you either. Neither of you would find the other appropriate.

As for the practical choice of a western girlfriend, no one is going to ask her to wear a niqab; she can wear whatever she deems presentable if it is modest and not too revealing. Thousands of western women live in Egypt; they teach in western schools and universities and work in corporate businesses, and chances are they wear what they usually wear when going to work in the western world.

Niqabbed women in Egypt shouldn’t construe more than 2 percent by the way.

“Wait, Cairo, NY?”

Funny you should ask. The Cairo we are talking about is the largest Cairo in the world with a population of approximately ten million. It sits smack in the middle of Egypt. It is bordered by the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, which are connected by a man-made waterway named the Suez Canal.

Cairo translates to “the victorious,” and Egyptians call it “Om el Donia,” aka, the “mother of the world,” and to them it seems just that.

“Oh…*awkward silence*"

Egypt is a breathtaking place. It has a 7000-year history, a unique culture, and loving inhabitants. Nothing awkward about moving to Cairo. In fact, if anything, those who are awkwardly silenced should be happy for you.

“Dude! That’s fucking amazing, congrats!!"

Indeed it is. It is an opportunity of a lifetime. While you are at it, learn some Arabic, become more informed about Islam, and try as you may to see it with a clear lens unblemished by the colonial vision that looked at Egypt as an ancillary state. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. Egypt owns its own destiny.

That doesn’t mean that Cairo isn’t without its challenges; living amongst 92 million can get a bit crammed leaving you flummoxed.

More importantly have a wonderful time and take back warm memories of a particularly special place. Maybe then your astounded, perplexed, and daunted friends will appreciate what you decided to venture on.

 

US State Department Issues Travel Alert For Europe But Not Egypt

Cairoscene.com

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year in which Americans travel. In an effort to highlight the safest places to travel this holiday season, the American State Department announced that there’s a travel risk in most of Europe, but not Egypt!

Coming as good news for Egypt’s tourism recovery is a statement released by US State Department issuing travel warnings across the globe. Illustrating a convenient map was UK’s Independent.com, who displays the world in three colours – red signifies a warning, yellow signifies alert, and green signifies no warning. Surprisingly, Egypt was coloured green, while all of Europe appeared yellow except for Ukraine, which remains a red warning.  

Winter used to be Egypt’s busiest tourism season but has struggled in the wake of uprisings and the downing of a Russian plane last year. Despite Egypt’s instability, the State Department believes that the situation no longer merits a warning for their citizens.

According to the statement released by US State department, “Credible information indicates the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL the U.S. gov't acronym for ISIS or Da'esh), al-Qaeda, and their affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks in Europe, with a focus on the upcoming holiday season and associated events. While extremists have carried out attacks in Belgium, France, Germany, and Turkey in the past year, the Department remains concerned about the potential for attacks throughout Europe.  If you are traveling between countries in Europe, please check the website of the U.S. Embassy or consulate in your destination city for any recent security messages.”

via www.cairoscene.com

Egypt girls launch cycling equality campaign

BBC News

The Port Said event was planned by five secondary school students

Girls in northern Egypt have launched a bike-riding campaign in protest against widespread intolerance towards female cyclists.

It's unusual to see women cycling in Egypt, and some of those who do so face harassment from passers-by. But five teenagers in the city of Port Said are trying to change that. They created a group called "There is no difference" to promote cycling as an option for female travellers, prompted by steep rises in the cost of taxi and minibus rides since the government slashed fuel subsidies.

Their first event was a mass bike ride in the coastal city that attracted both male and female cyclists. "We want to show that there is no difference between boys and girls," Israa Fayed, one of the organisers, tells government-sponsored Al-Qanal TV. "Girls can ride bikes, and our first aim is to get society accustomed to the sight of a girl on a bike."

The initiative has attracted support from women's rights group Kahilah. Its founder, Enas al-Maasarawy, says hundreds of young people got on their bikes for the event. "There was a great turnout. We think it is the beginning of a change," she told the BBC.

There was plenty of praise on the event's Facebook page, where one of the girls taking part said they were united around one goal: "To make the society believe that riding bikes is normal, and there is nothing shameful about it."

There has been widespread concern over women's rights in Egypt in recent years after a spike in sexual harassment and violence against women following the country's 2011 revolution. New punishments were introduced for offenders in 2014, including jail terms of up to five years.

via www.bbc.com

If there ever was a time for solidarity, it is now

Ahram Online, by Azza Radwan Sedky

The term solidarity conjures up meanings such as unanimity, like-mindedness, cohesion, and mutual support. Though not exact, it is the closest meaning to the Arabic word, “takaful.”

While “takaful” can mean solidarity, it also translates to burden sharing, joint responsibility, and guardianship. Having found no English word to befit the term “takaful” exactly, I’ll just have to make do with “solidarity.” Now back to our issue today: why, if there ever was a time for solidarity, is it now?

In yonder years, I got frustrated with those who, in the hopes of getting a tip in return, thanked me profusely or wished me well unnecessarily. Complying would’ve meant I participated in creating an exponential range of panhandlers. 

This notion hasn’t changed, though it has developed. Yes, we must help those in need, but we must do it prudently and rationally.

Egyptians are facing dire challenges. The latest economic measures of floating the pound and cutting fuel subsidies will benefit Egypt in the long run. However, it is today that is worrisome.

Subsidising electricity, fuel, and other commodities such as bread, allowed Egyptians to live in an impractical world. High time the ivory tower is shattered and Egyptians face down-to-earth realities. No, electricity does not come so cheap anywhere in the world and neither does bread cost five piasters.

The pound flotation will bolster exports but will increase inflation, affecting industries and imports such as medication and other necessities.

The planned value-added tax will reduce tax evasion and bring in the needed liquidity but will hike prices further.

Despite the government’s effort to protect the needy by keeping power subsidies intact for those who consume less, and by including even more food items in the subsidy formula, everyone will be hit hard.

So setting the government’s effort aside, today it is up to those who have to help those who have not, not only regularly but also wisely.

Egyptians, be they Muslims or Christians, pay their religious dues of “zakat" and “oshoor" and tip generously. The successes realised by Magdi Yacoub’s hospital and the Tahya Misr Project, whose sole aims are to alleviate the suffering of the poor, rely on donors’ solidarity.

All this is commendable but insufficient as the anticipated hardships edge closer.

Giving to simply anyone creates freeloaders; handing out “baksheesh” indiscriminately is dangerous. A sudden 20 pounds in someone’s pocket will not leave a substantial mark, but setting aside a sum of money, a monthly allotment, that goes to a particular person in need will.

“Sponsor a child” charities are known all over the world. Similarly, you can give a parent a sum of money that would sustain a child, keep the child at school and avoid him or her the threat of child labour. This should continue until the child graduates.

Also, choosing whom to support is key. Giving to those who already receive support because they are around us is futile. It is easy to give to the janitor, who also receives support from other tenants, but a weekly allowance to the street cleaner is more justifiable.

“In kind” donations are more useful than simple cash. “In kind” means giving in the form of goods or services. Give a smoker 100 pounds and he will spend half of it on cigarettes; give him food — a chicken or two kilogrammes of sugar — and it will go further. Buy him a blanket in the winter. Pay his child’s tuition fee early in the school year — it is only 60 pounds per year. Take him to see a doctor and pay for the prescribed medication, or even help him apply to get a government pension. Better yet, every month give a young mother a supply of birth control pills.

If out of “in kind” ideas, donate to charities that won’t spend your donations on television ads and salaries. Do your homework; learn about the charities that receive your donations. At best 20 percent should be what goes towards running a charity, and the rest must go to projects that serve the needy.

The saying, “Give a man a fish and he will eat today, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” applies here. Buying a rural poor mother a sewing machine or a knitting machine can be lucrative. Buying her a cow would render her self-sufficient. She would sell the butter, cheese, yogurt, and milk and satisfy her hungry children. Giving her 100 pounds every month for years will make her dependent, but a once-and-for-all campaign to buy her the cow or the sewing machine will leave her empowered.

If it is in your capacity to teach or train someone, go ahead. Teaching someone to weave kelims or carpets, embroider pillows or cushions, crochet quilts and tablecloths will give them control over their lives.

The concept of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is worth repeating in Egypt even if at a small and individual scale. Originally supported only by donors and charity agencies, the Grameen Bank is a micro-credit programme that lends impoverished, no-collateral women enough money to start small businesses.

In Uganda, a study conducted by IPA (Innovations for Poverty Actions) gave a group of 20 youths 10,000 Ugandan dollars each, which amounts to $400 a person, equal to their annual incomes. Surprisingly, most recipients started new skilled trades like metalworking or tailoring. “They increase[d] their employment hours about 17 percent. Those new hours [were] spent in high-return activities, and so earnings [rose] nearly 50 percent, especially women’s.”

If I have made a mere handful of you go out of their way to help others, I have succeeded. Now is the time to give, even if prudently, so “subsidise” people not products.

The writer is author of Cairo Rewind: The First Two Years of Egypt's Revolution.

 

via english.ahram.org.eg

هنا العاصمه: اسلام البحيري مع لميس الحديدي

 

 

Emboldening tactics

The nature of things tells us that people can be easily swayed, heartened by a word or a phrase, incited by an action or reaction. More importantly, they are emboldened by an election promise, a referendum upshot, or a president’s inclination or course.

Empowered, supporters align themselves with the same notions that he who is empowering them possesses. Soon afterwards, perceiving the words or actions provided as a green light, a right of way, these supporters indulge themselves; they free themselves of any inhibition and do and say things they wouldn’t have dared to otherwise. Whether these actions are justified or fair is a non-issue.

Here are a few examples.

Brexit

Migration was arguably the defining factor in Britain’s referendum to leave the EU with the Leave supporters leading a divisive campaign that demonized immigrants.

Sayeeda Warsi, the former chair of the Conservative party, after she refused to continue supporting the Leave Campaign, said, “ “… day after day what are we hearing? The refugees are coming, the rapists are coming, the Turks are coming.” “This kind of nudge-nudge, wink-wink xenophobic racist campaign may be politically savvy or useful in the short term but it causes long-term damage to communities.”

While inciting racial hatred and supporting Brexit, Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, UKIP, devised a poster that said, “We must break free of the EU and take back control.” The photo in the poster shows hundreds of refugees heading his way implying that they are heading to Britain.

Repercussions from the nationalistic Brexit rhetoric came immediately after the vote to quit the European Union occurred. According to the British National Police Chiefs’ Council, hate crimes rose 57 percent with 3,886 such crimes logged in July 2015 but rising to 5,468 in July this year.

The aftermath included a spike in racist or religious abuse incidents. According to the chief executive of Stop Hate UK, Rose Simkins, “…people who have never been targeted before … are now experiencing nasty abuse.”

Signs that say “Refugees not welcome,” or “No more Polish vermin” surfaced. One Muslim Schoolgirl was cornered and told, ““Get out, we voted leave.” A survey by the Guardian found that European embassies in Britain have logged dozens of incidents of suspected hate crime and abuse against their citizens since the referendum, mostly involving citizens from eastern European countries in particular Poland.

The US Presidential Race

Spurring hatred and polarization, Donald Trump’s warped campaign rhetoric misled some Americans into believing they are better than both other Americans and non-Americans. He harnessed the discontent of such Americans and funnelled it towards his own strength calling Mexican immigrants rapists and killers and calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US.

Once the election results were announced, a surge in attacks took place. Angry discourse fed the “whites-only” crowd pursuing Trump’s call to purge the US of minorities. Racist, anti-Muslim, and anti-semitic hate crimes followed. One Trump supporter punched a woman in her face after an argument about the election. One Ethiopian taxi driver was assaulted in Grand Rivers by a man yelling, “Trump, Trump.”

The Southern Poverty Law Centre, the SPLC, reported over 400 incidents of hateful intimidation and harassment by far more than those reported in the wake of September 11 with most of them aimed at Muslims.

Mark Potok, a leading expert in extremism and senior fellow with the SPLC, "We've seen a dramatic upsurge in both hate crimes and then lesser hate incidents, things like Muslim kids being bullied, Muslim women having their hijabs torn off their faces," Potok said.

Muslims bore the brunt of attacks, with anti-Islam incidents soaring in the five days after Trump announced his controversial Muslim ban. Potok also said that after Muslims, the "primary and secondary targets" of the recent wave of hate crimes were “blacks, Latinos and LGBT people” And once the elections results came out “… we’ve seen a big uptick in incidents of vandalism, threats, intimidation spurred by the rhetoric surrounding Mr. Trump’s election.” The incidents are endless as the white supremacists out there celebrate Trumps victory and many are "feeling their oats.”

And President-elect Donald Trump, confirming the attacks, asked his followers to halt the surge in harassment and hate crimes. "I am so saddened to hear that," Trump said. "And I say, 'Stop it.' If it — if it helps, I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: 'Stop it.’

Would the mob-like mentality have soared had Trump not demonized immigrants, ethnic groups, and those who didn’t look like him?

President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood

Though Ex-President Mohammed Morsi vowed to represent all Egyptians, Muslim Brotherhood members realized what the Muslim Brotherhood candidate presidential win meant. With cutthroat speed, Morsi’s clan dominated Egypt realizing their dream; his supporters deemed Egypt theirs, which allowed them to attack Copts leaving some homeless, dead, imprisoned, evicted, detained in juvenile establishments, and much more.

But it wasn’t only Copts that suffered; hatred was directed at anyone who wasn’t one of them or corroborated their ideas. Their leaders had instilled in them the notion that the Muslim Brotherhood have no equal. In one year, the MB not only gained political dominance but also moulded a new course for Egypt altering education, constitution, ideology, culture, and governance to their liking.

At MB and non-MB schools, bearded teachers and veiled students adorned textbook covers. The MB Minister of Education deleted the photo of a woman’s right pioneer from a textbook because she wasn’t wearing the hijab. New and altered textbooks promoted prominent Islamists from Hamas and other militant groups. Soon, all schools would have focused on jihad and the caliphate to come.

We must blame politicians for steering their followers one way or another. The puppeteer manipulates the puppets. These proponents are not to blame; they merely pursue the same line of rhetoric that their chosen leader calls for.

Moving Video: Palestinian Churches Sound Islamic Call to Prayer In Protest As Israel Bans It

NewsRescue.com

In response to the Israeli government’s plan to prohibit the call to prayer in the city, Jerusalemites climbed onto the roofs of their houses and recited the call to prayer all together.

 

Over the past two weeks, Israel has been working to ban the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported the a bill to outlaw the religious calling, saying: “Israel is a state that respects the freedom of worship for all believers and it is committed to protecting those who suffer from noise which is caused by the loudspeakers.”

 

via newsrescue.com

World-Beating Egypt Stocks Defy Trump Slump as Foreigners Return

Bloomberg

Financial traders work beneath digital boards displaying financial data in the trading hall of the Egyptian stock exchange in Cairo. Photographer: Shawn Baldwin/Bloomberg

Investors are finding a rare bright spot amid the emerging-market rout that has followed Donald Trump’s election victory, in a country they had shunned since 2011: Egypt.

The nation’s benchmark stocks gauge is the world’s best performer since the Nov. 8 vote, returning more than 20 percent in dollar terms, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thanks to a surge in foreign-investor holdings since the country adopted a free-floating currency policy this month, Egyptian equities were able to buck a 6.1 percent decline for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Egypt scrapped controls of its pound on Nov. 3, prompting the currency to fall almost 50 percent within a week but also eliminating the devaluation risk that previously kept foreign money managers away. Since then, investors repelled by five years of turmoil after the Arab Spring have been returning, with about 2.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($176 million) of overseas funds flowing into the country’s stocks in November, more than any month since August 2013.

"Volatility presents opportunities, and we’re finding them in markets like Egypt," said Andrew Schultz, the Cape Town-based head of frontier sales at Investec Securities who reported a pick-up in demand for Egypt from clients. "We’re seeing investor relief over the authorities’ decision to float the currency. Now it’s a market where you can make investment decisions based on fundamentals, rather than have potential gains capped by an overvalued exchange rate."

While in dollar terms the EGX 30 Index is still at a 26 percent discount to its pre-currency float level, its recovery contrasts with a selloff across emerging markets since Trump was voted U.S. president. Developing-country stocks hit a four-month low this week amid concern the protectionist policy pledges made during his campaign will result in less access to the world’s biggest economy.

Egyptian stocks are the best performers in dollar terms since Nov. 8 among 94 exchanges worldwide, excluding Venezuela because of discrepancies between that country’s official exchange rate and black market.
IMF Loan

Egypt’s decision to float the currency helped the country get a $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. The program will help Egypt restore macroeconomic stability and promote inclusive growth and the nation will receive an immediate disbursement of $2.75 billion, the fund said on Nov. 11.

“We’re sitting on the sidelines until we can better understand the effects of the IMF deal," said Tariq Qaqish, who helps manage about $200 million of equities at Al Mal Capital PSC, including Egyptian shares bought before the pound float. "We don’t see full recovery for all stocks” because the effect of the depreciation will vary depending on the industry and short-term challenges for the economy remain, he said.

Egypt suffers from one of the highest budget deficits in the Middle East and a debt burden that is almost as much as its annual economic output. Business activity fell to the lowest level in more than three years in October before the devaluation, shrinking for a 13th month amid a dollar shortage, according the Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers Index for non-oil industries.

The EGX 30 added another 2.2 percent as of 2:04 p.m. in Cairo, on track for a ninth day of gains out of 11 since the pound’s float. The gauge is trading at 12.1 times forward earnings, marking the first time it’s become more expensive than the emerging market average since March 2015.

via www.bloomberg.com

Messi Signs With Egyptian Program Tour n’ Cure

SeeThru

It’s not everyday that the number one soccer player in the world gets signed as an ambassador of an enterprise—let alone an Egyptian one—but when the initiative is for that big of a cause, he couldn’t decline the offer! Joining Dani Alvis, Lionel Messi is now officially the face of Tour n’ Cure.

Tour n’ Cure provides hepatitis C patients, from all over the world, with an effective and affordable treatment package. It is Egypt’s latest initiative in medical tourism—namely offering the opportunity to treat hepatitis C with the most recent, advanced therapies worldwide, with no waiting time. What’s more, their package offers patients the opportunity to take in the beauty of Egypt and visit historic landmarks during the days of the treatment, while enjoying a relaxing stay at a 5-star hotel.

During this one-week program, patients will be introduced to their team of highly qualified hepatology doctors. They will perform all the necessary medical check-ups, laboratory tests and administer the full course of treatment that is most suitable to the patient’s case.

Tour n’ Cure has partnered with a selection of state of the art hospitals that have been honoured with numerous awards and recognitions by international organizations. These hospitals include the Egyptian Air Force Hospital and Sharm El Sheikh International Hospital.

Tour n’ Cure has collaborated with Pharco Corporation, one of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers in the Middle East. Pharco produces the treatments, in line with the latest international standards for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of the pharmaceutical industry.

Why is this based in Egypt, you may wonder? Egypt actually has global recognition when it comes to fighting Hepatitis C. ThisEgyptian program gained high global recognition including the WHO which Celebrated World Hepatitis C day in Cairo in 2015. Moreover, Egypt success in fighting Hepatitis C is energized by ambitious presidential program aiming at treating 1 million patients by the end of 2016. For this purpose, Egypt established 50 Hepatitis C management centers across the country aiming to increase them to 100 centers by the end of 2016, including 18 university hospitals.

So far, over 300,000 patients were cured during the past year, which was made possible by implementing advanced global disease management protocols at highly affordable costs through locally manufactured medications.

In case you’re uncertain what Hepatitis C is exactly, it is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus: the virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis infection, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. The hepatitis C virus is a blood borne virus and the most common modes of infection are through unsafe injection practices, inadequate sterilization of medical equipment, and the transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products. 130–150 million people globally have chronic hepatitis C infection. A significant number of those who are chronically infected will develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, but research in this area is ongoing. image1-messi

 

via seethrumag.com