Georgia Launches New National Strategy to Eliminate Hepatitis C

TBILISI - The Georgian Government has approved a National Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis C during a cabinet session on Tuesday.

The new campaign will run until 2020 and aim to cure 90 per cent of the patients infected with the virus and treat 95 per cent of those who suffer from Hepatitis.

The program was originally proposed in April 2015 as a way to eliminate the spread of the virus.

According to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the overall budget of the program amounts to over USD 50 million (116 million GEL), USD 24 million of which will come from the state budget.

USD 15 billion-worth of prescription drugs will be donated by the state.

American biotechnology company Gilead has signed on to take part in the program, to provide research, analysis and expertise to the Georgian government.

Georgia is one of the top 5 countries in the world with the highest rate of Hepatitis C. An average of 7.7 people out of every 100 are afflicted with the virus.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller