World Hepatitis Day
PM stresses Georgia’s “stunning achievements”

Today the world marks Hepatics Day in order to bring different people together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change.

I am very happy to say that Georgia has become an example for the world in this regard,” Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said in a special statement today.

He stressed through the local and foreign cooperation Georgia launched an "unprecedented” Hepatitis C Program in 2015, which led to "stunning achievements.”

By the state support thousands of Georgians have been cured from the decease. Years ago for most of the people the illness was a verdict as treatment required heavy finances,” Kvirikashvili stated.

The Prime Minister said that since 2015:

• More than 43,000 people have been registered in the Hepatitis C Program.
•  More than 40,000 have already received free treatment with most  modern medicines.
• About 32,000 patients have already completed treatment.
• Up to 98percent of the people defeated the decease.

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

Typically Harvoni cost €110,000 per person for one course of treatment.Photo by the Ministry of Health. 

The cost of the whole five year, 2015-2020 strategic plan for the Hepatic C Elimination Program was $50 million. 

Of this, the state budget allocated $25 million while the remaining $25 million came from donors. 

In partnership with the American company Gilead, Georgia launched a large-scale Hepatitis C Elimination Program in 2015. The program aimed to make Georgia a Hepatitis C-free country by 2020.

Now Gilead provides Georgia with Harvoni- the most modern medicine against the illness.

Typically Harvoni cost €110,000 per person for one course of treatment.