Georgian Gov't Launches ‘STOP C’ Campaign
On World Hepatitis Day, annually marked on 28 July, the Government of Georgia launched a new campaign - STOP C.
The goal of the new campaign is to inform more people about the hepatitis C virus treatment program. The municipalities will be also involved in this process, offering centers where locals will be able to conduct free research on hepatitis C.
Within the frames of the new campaign, if new cases are revealed, such individuals will be invited to take advantage of the free hepatitis C treatment program. Previously, such centers could only be found in five Georgian cities.
The campaign was presented by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, along with the Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs, David Sergeenko.
The 3-year outcomes and achievements of the hepatitis C elimination program were discussed at the event. As stated, the program involves up to 50,000 patients and the cure rate is 98.2%.
The health initiative ‘Georgia without Hepatitis C’ was launched nationwide in April 2015, when the Government of Georgia and an American biotechnology company, Gilead, signed a memorandum of understanding.
The project helps to reduce and prevent cases of hepatitis C in Georgia. The main goal of the project is to stop the disease from spreading. The treatment is free of charge for all citizens of Georgia.
According to the PM, by 2020, Georgia may become the first country to successfully overcome hepatitis C.
“Our steps are aimed at dealing with this very difficult challenge and we can say that Georgia is a unique country in the region as well as in the world, to have succeeded in this regard,” he stated.
Bakhtadze thanked the American partners for their support and highlighted that per-patient treatment costs around $80-90 thousand.
“This means that only a few dozen citizens of Georgia would have normally been treated using these very expensive preparations. With the help of our American partners, we have ensured that these drugs are now available to everyone,” the PM said.
While delivering his own speech, Minister Sergeenko stated that healthcare is one of the top priorities of the government. He said the State also started to implement a hepatitis C prevention program in penitentiary institutions, where 50% of patients have so far been cured.
“For implementation of such programs, the State should have strong political will, a team of qualified doctors and a strong strategic partner. Fortunately, Georgia has all these components,” Sergeenko stated.
According to Akaki Zoidze, Chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the Parliament, after 2020, hepatitis C treatment will no longer be free. He calls on citizens who know that they have C hepatitis, to apply for free treatment now, while the program is free.
“At least 25,000 people know they have hepatitis C and are not treating it. We should do our best to encourage these people to undergo treatment because in doing so, we will save 25,000 lives,” he added.
By Thea Morrison