SEROPREVALENCE OF HBsAg, HCV AND HIV ANTIBODIES IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS IN MAKKAH REGION, KSA

People from all over the world tend to travel to KSA for seeking better jobs in a variety of fields i.e. skilled and unskilled. As per requirement of Saudi Government, all the employees must get themselves screened for HIV; HCV and HBV from the Medical Centers registered with Saudi Consulates in their respective countries prior to endorsement of visa for entering the kingdom. Once these potential employees enter the Kingdom, it is imminent for the employer to get them working permit i.e. Iqama. In the Kingdom, to obtain Iqama, once again all these employees need to get medical fitness certificate from Medical Centers registered with the Ministry of Health. This may be pointed here that HIV co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or/and hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a growing public health concern. The objective of this study is to determine the positive influx of HBV, HCV and HIV in general population of KSA and to describe associations between risk behaviours and co-infection. This study ensures that none of these new employees should escape the required law of obtaining medical fitness certificate for concealing the infectious diseases if any, and latter on become the source of spreading these diseases in the society. It is suggested that the government may give a thought to enhancing the prevailing system of medical certification to the point where it becomes infallible.