1.5 million people screened for hepatitis C in Georgia

The latest statistics read that 1.5 million people have been screened for hepatitis C, more than 58,000 have engaged, and 54,000 have successfully completed treatment under the program in Georgia.

The statement was made by Georgian Prime Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze in connection to World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, which aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis.

The PM reminded that Hepatitis C Elimination Program was launched in the country in 2015, which is still successfully underway.

“The fight against hepatitis C remains a formidable challenge for every country. Georgia, however, is unique, as we are the only country to have implemented a hepatitis C elimination program under the status of a nationwide project. ..We have done a lot to turn Georgia into a role model in the fight against hepatitis C," Bakhtadze emphasized.

He noted that today hepatitis C testing and treatment are available throughout the country, including in primary healthcare facilities and called on the society to undergo the test.

"Along with the medical community and recovered patients present here, I would like to assure everyone that hepatitis C is curable and, most importantly, we have succeeded in uprooting this stigma in Georgian society,” he said.

Bakhtadze stated that other countries are monitoring Georgia’s fight against Hepatitis C in order to share the experience in the future.

“I am also thankful to our strategic partner, the United States of America, with whose support we have been able to implement this most important project. Special thanks go to the Gilead pharmaceutical company who has been directly involved in the implementation of the Hepatitis C Elimination Program in Georgia," he said.

The Hepatitis C Elimination Program launched in 2015, has admitted almost 58, 000 patients. Up to 99% 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.

Georgia has one of the highest estimated virus prevalence rates in the world, affecting 6.7 percent of the population.

Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing close to 1.34 million people every year. Hepatitis causes liver diseases and can also kill a person.