Riham Mohamed Elshafie^{1, 2}, Haifa A Fadil¹, Fahad Alzahrani¹, Ehsan Habeeb¹, Hanaa Wanas^{3, 4}

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of pharmacist-led health education on public awareness of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Al?Madinah Al?Munawarah region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A pre-post interventional assessment was conducted to assess the awareness of HCV among citizens of Al-Madinah, Al-Munawarah, KSA. A pretested, validated questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected participants who were 15 years or older. Health education sessions were conducted by pharmacists and 4 months later, participants were reassessed using the same questionnaire to measure the improvement of their awareness and understanding of the disease and to evaluate the pharmacist's role. Results: Of the 159 randomly selected participants, 35 % were between 20 - 30 years and 58 % of participants had higher education. There was limited knowledge among participants, with only 43 % recognizing HCV as a contagious illness. Some behavioral risks included 13 % of individuals using razors that were not changed between uses by family members. Significant improvements were observed across all knowledge domains, with overall awareness increasing from 43 to 92 % (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Health education interventions by pharmacists significantly enhance public knowledge of HCV, particularly in high-prevalence regions like Al-Madinah, Al-Munawarah. Enhanced community awareness will potentially reduce the burden of HCV and improve public health outcomes in Saudi Arabia.