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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 The number of people infected with the hepatitis C virus worldwide was 71 million. In the same year it reached 399 thousand. The causes of human deaths and diagnostic and treatment programs to combat this insidious virus are actively being carried out in various parts of the world.
According to Agnė Gaižauskienė, Director of the Association of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (IFPA), the active fight against HCV was determined by modern treatment options. Six years ago, effective drugs were developed that cured the disease in just 2-3 months. This allowed the World Health Organization to set a goal to eliminate the hepatitis C virus worldwide by 2030.
“To achieve the complete elimination of HCV, all countries, including Lithuania, must focus on the diagnosis and treatment of people who are already infected. The world strives to achieve this goal, so it is important that the elimination of HCV is also a priority in public health care in our country. Today we have to focus on the country and work closely with all interested institutions and experts in this field, “says A. Gaižauskienė.
The situation in Lithuania remains difficult.
At the end of last year, Lithuanian and foreign experts and representatives of the authorities met to discuss the strategy of elimination of hepatitis C in Lithuania. According to the head of the Gastroenterology Department of the Kaunas Clinics of the LSMU Hospital, who participated in the meeting, prof. Juozas Kupčinskas, this was a unique opportunity that was of great importance for further action in the fight against HCV.
“Foreign experts, using the best international experience and the latest trends in the treatment and diagnosis of hepatitis C, analyzed the situation in Lithuania and provided recommendations on how to solve the problem of hepatitis C in our country in a modern way. All this is reflected in the IQVIA report, which today can serve as a tool to stimulate the political will to eliminate HCV in Lithuania, ”said the professor. J. Kupčinskas.
The report from IQVIA, an international health market data research company, notes that there are more than 50,000 people in Lithuania. adult population infected with hepatitis C. These are mainly people who have been transmitted by HCV during medical procedures and blood transfusions or intravenous drugs.
However, the main problem is that Lithuania does not have an adopted national HCV phase-out strategy that is systematically followed.
Prof. Dr. Juozas Kupčinskas
How to implement the WHO objective in Lithuania?
According to prof. According to J. Kupčinskas, if Lithuania does not take any action, the WHO goal of eliminating HCV in the country will only be reached in 2050. Therefore, so as not to lag behind the rest of the world, IQVIA has provided recommendations to the authorities Lithuanians to help achieve the required results in a timely manner.
“One of the key findings of the IQVIA report is that we need to develop a national strategy at the national level, involving both GPs, specialist doctors and authorities. Only close cooperation can help make this happen. Currently, a working group has been convened at the Ministry of Health to develop a strategy to eliminate HCV, “says the professor. J. Kupčinskas.
According to the professor, another important step marked in the report, which should be taken into account, is that all patients should receive treatment without restrictions, according to the latest European and American recommendations.
“Under the current procedure, treatment with reimbursable medications can only be administered to patients whose liver is already damaged. However, we must treat all patients with active hepatitis C virus immediately, regardless of the level of disease progression.” says the teacher. J. Kupčinskas.
In addition to the two key recommendations: the development of a national strategy and the removal of restrictions on treatment, the professor asks that attention be paid to the circumstances of its implementation. According to the IQVIA report, the implementation of the national program must be coordinated by a permanent and immutable team that is not affected by changing political circumstances.
How do you know if you are not a virus carrier?
According to prof. J. Kupčinskas, most of the patients with the hepatitis C virus in Lithuania were infected before 1994. at the time of the blood transfusion, because then the blood was not analyzed for HCV.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through the blood. HCV was only discovered in the world in 1989. The majority of patients infected with it are blood donors, blood recipients, and those who have undergone various medical interventions. Therefore, the greatest attention should be paid to people who are currently over 40 years old, ”says the professor.
He recommends that everyone undergo a HCV screening test at least once in their lifetime, which should be referred to a family doctor or private laboratory.
“The bottom line is that early diagnosis of HCV can prevent many cases of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, or death. Therefore, people must consciously take care of their own health, investigate and thus avoid its additional consequences, “says the professor. J. Kupčinskas.
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