Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/236916
6 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 JANUARY 2014 Intravenous drug users account for 68% of Hepatitis C patients JAMES DEBONO AN overwhelming 68% patients who tested positively for the Hepatitis C virus, were users of intravenous drugs and – testament to Malta's regional conglomeration of social problems – most of them hailed from inner harbour localities like Cospicua and Valletta. Hepatitis C is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease in the world, claiming 350,000 deaths worldwide from related liver diseases. A total of 1,074 patients tested pos- itive for the disease between January 2008 and May 2012 in Malta, a study based on 506 medical files has shown. Only 56% of these patients had a scheduled appointment with an infectious disease specialist. The profile of the patients was mainly male, 72%; with 78% of total patients aged between 21 and 50, and more than one-third aged 31-40. 68% of patients were injecting heroin, and only one case of Hep-C was attributable to a sexual infection while another single case was attributed to a needle-stick injury result- ing in infection. In 2% of cases, the alleged mode of infection was via blood transfusion prior to the introduction of blood screening. The study seems to indicate that the sharing of drug needles has persisted, despite the provision of free new syringes from public health centres. "It is of utmost importance to draw attention of the risks of sharing needles and other apparatus to drug users," the study's authors – Anthea Brincat, Neville Azzopardi, Maria Deguara, Kelly Mifsud, Marylin Rogers and James Pocock – wrote in a recent edition of the Malta Medical Journal. The highest number of patients were registered as living in Bormla, followed by Valletta, Santa Venera, Floriana, St Julian's and Hamrun. The study suggests that these localities should now be targeted in health education campaigns. Shortcomings in Hepatitis C management were blamed on the fact that working with a patient population composed mainly of drug users was proving to be difficult. Patients also tend to present themselves late for testing, unless the infection is picked up by blood-screening tests. Patients also depended on funding from NGOs for their medical treatment, because medication was not available on the National Health Service and was also relatively expensive. This may be one of the reasons why few patients undergo treatment for Hep-C. The best hope for patients with this disease is offered by referral to an infectious disease physician for assessment. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Norman Vella closer to MEP candidature JURGEN BALZAN FORMER TVM presenter Norman Vella yesterday said that the Nationalist Party commission screening possible candidates for the forthcoming European elections, had interviewed him. Speaking on Church radio RTK, Vella said that he as yet to be officially approved by the PN's higher echelons, however the former television host said that he would be "honoured" if he would make it on the list of PN candidates. Asked when the PN would announce its second batch of candidates, Vella said that he did not know when such an announcement would be made, adding that it should happen in the coming days or weeks. Vella is an immigration officer who was seconded to the public broadcaster, and formerly spent five years working as a journalist for the Where's Everybody production house. His secondment was rescinded in 2013 and he returned to his original posting. But he made the news again after he was arrested at the Malta International Airport, on suspicion of having taken mobile phone photos of two government spokespersons passing through passport control. The former TVHemm presenter asked Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to investigate an alleged abuse of power by the police after a magistrate ordered the return of his mobile phone and tablet, seized from him by the police. Vella was arrested for allegedly snapping pictures of Head of Government Communications Kurt Farrugia and Home Affairs Ministry communications coordinator Ra- Norman Vella (centre) flanked by his lawyers Therese Commodini Cachia, Andrew Borg Cardona and Kevin Aquilina, after Vella's phone was confiscated on suspicion of having taken photos of two government spokespersons while going through passport control at Malta International Airport mona Attard as they passed through passport control, at the Malta International Airport. After petitioning for the return of his phone, the courts found that there was no reasonable suspicion that Vella had committed a crime and ordered that his smartphone and tablet be returned immediately by the police. Upon the court's decision, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil described the ruling as "a victory for freedom". As a former broadcaster, Vella had availed himself of unpaid leave from his civil service position to work for production house Where's Every- body and was then seconded to the public broadcaster's newsroom in 2012. After the March elections he was placed back at the border control post. The PN has so far selected eight candidates for the 2014 European election; incumbents David Casa and Roberta Metsola, entrepreneurs Helga Ellul and Jonathan Shaw, lawyers Stefano Mallia, Kevin Cutajar and Therese Commodini Cachia, and PN youth section president Kevin Plumpton. At first glance, the list of PN candidates contesting next year's European elections includes a balance be- tween youth and experience, women and men and seasoned politicians and newcomers. However, in the absence of PN leader Simon Busuttil, who will not be contesting the elections after nine successful years in Brussels, the PN lacks a heavyweight candidate to spearhead the nationwide campaign. In the two previous European elections, the PN campaign was led single-handedly by Busuttil, who to this day holds the record for the highest number of votes ever garnered by a candidate in a single election. In the two previous elections, the PN only elected two candidates, Bu- suttil and David Casa, and the PN has openly set its sights on winning an unprecedented three seats. Labour's candidates are sitting MP Deborah Schembri, Muslim community leader Mario Farrugia Borg, economist and university lecturer Fleur Vella, architect Lino Bianco, former journalist Miriam Dalli, former Nationalist councillor Cyrus Engerer, Marlene Mizzi, former Labour leader Alfred Sant, and Qala mayor Clint Camilleri. Incumbent Joseph Cuschieri and Claudette Abela Baldacchino have not yet indicated whether they will be contesting.