New Medicine to Be Included in Hepatitis C Elimination Program

Amiran Gamkrelidze, Director of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), said that the third generation new medicine will be included in the Hepatitis C Elimination Program from December 2019, which will have a higher cure effect.

Gamkrelidze made the statement after the 4th meeting of the International Advisory Group in the framework of C hepatitis elimination program.

According to him, Georgia is taking a leading position in terms of the number of the population surveyed and the number of people involved in the treatment program.

"This program is a model for the whole world and the European region. During these 3.5 years, we are ahead in terms of the population survey, as well as the population involved in the treatment.

Gamkrelidze underlined that if in the world the average coverage of the society is 7-14%, Georgia has achieved 40%.

“If the inclusion and cure rate in the world is around 8 - 15%, Georgia already has about 41% of the target population and the cure effect is 98%,” he claimed.

The NCDC Head added that this year the screening programs have also expanded.

“After the new medicine is introduced, the rest 2% which could not be cured, will have a chance to defeat the disease,” he said.

The Hepatitis C Elimination Program launched in 2015, has admitted almost 50, 000 patients. 98.2% of them have been cured.

The program was launched in partnership with the American company Gilead, with the goal to make Georgia a Hepatitis C-free country by 2020.

The treatment, as well as Hepatitis C test, is free of charge for the citizens of Georgia.