Residents of seven Georgian regions will be provided with free Hepatitis C, HIV and Tuberculosis tests starting today.
Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia said today that the project was first initiated in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and the other six regions were added this year.
The regions where the free tests are available are:
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili took the free medical test in Gurjaani, Kakheti.
Deputy Minister Gabunia stated that the Hepatitis C elimination programme is a priority for the Georgian government.
More than 164,000 people have been provided with the test in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti while the number exceeds 144,000 in the region of Adjara.
Additional medical examinations and treatment are also available for free in case any of the three diseases is detected.
In partnership with the American company Gilead, Georgia launched a large-scale Hepatitis C Elimination Program in 2015. The program aims to make Georgia a Hepatitis C-free country by 2020.
Approximately 125,000 people have undergone treatment as part of the Hepatitis C elimination programme. The latest recovery rate is 98,2 %.
Earlier in April, the Ministry of Health of Georgia was awarded a certificate of an exemplary country combating Hepatitis C by the European Association for the Study of the Liver and International Liver Foundation in Austria.