Minister of health discusses new hepatitis C medicine
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, March 25
Minister of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare Davit Sergeenko announced that the contract pertaining to the new hepatitis C medicine would be signed on April 21, 2015.
The information was released at a special press-conference.
According to Sergeenko, after the agreement is signed, the first batch of the medicine will be brought to Georgia and is expected to be enough to treat 5,000 people.
“Specific data will be announced on the day of the signature about the access to the medicine. I assure you that it will be available for all who really need it,” he stated.
The minister explained to hepatitis C patients that taking the medicine did not mean total cure from the disease.
“The patients must be well informed, and must realize that medication will eliminate the infection, but will not restore damage done to the liver,” he underlined.
Sergeenoko called upon the patients to continue taking care of themselves, and not to rely only on the new medicine.
He mentioned that after the announcement of the new C hepatitis project, many people from the risk group gave-up taking care of themselves and started following an unhealthy lifestyle, some even started drinking alcohol.
“It is very important for the patients to follow the basic rules of infection control, otherwise the results could be fatal,” Sergeenko stressed.
The minister asked the media to deliver his message to the public.
The memorandum will be signed between the government of Georgia, the US Center for Disease Control and the American biotechnology company Gilead Sciences.
According to the agreement, a new generation medicine called Sofosbuvir, will enter the Georgian market, which in August will be followed by another medicine called Havroni.
