Progress Toward the Elimination of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the Country of Georgia, April 2015-April 2024.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
; 73(30): 660-666, 2024 Aug 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39088368
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer and caused 1.3 million deaths worldwide in 2022. Hepatitis B is preventable with vaccination, and hepatitis C is curable with direct-acting antivirals. In 2015, in collaboration with CDC and other partners, Georgia, a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia, launched a hepatitis C elimination program to reduce the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C; at that time, the prevalence was 5.4%, more than five times the global average of 1.0%. In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed a goal for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health problem by 2030. In 2024, 89% of the Georgian adult population have received screening for hepatitis C, 83% of persons with current chronic HCV infection have received a diagnosis, and 86% of those with diagnosed hepatitis C have started treatment. During 2015-2023, vaccination coverage with the hepatitis B birth dose and with 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine among infants exceeded 90% for most years. In 2021, the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was 0.03% among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years and 2.7% among adults. Georgia has demonstrated substantial progress toward hepatitis B and hepatitis C elimination. Using lessons from the hepatitis C elimination program, scale-up of screening and treatment for hepatitis B among adults would prevent further viral hepatitis-associated morbidity and mortality in Georgia and would accelerate progress toward hepatitis B and hepatitis C elimination by 2030.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hepatitis C
/
Hepatitis B Vaccines
/
Disease Eradication
/
Hepatitis B
Limits:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Child
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Child, preschool
/
Humans
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Infant
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Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication: