Aug 19, 2019

Successful project by Médecins sans frontières in Ukraine: treatment of hepatitis C with generics

900 inhabitants of Mykolaiv region were treated with affordable generic drugs as part of the project of the international organization Médecins sans frontières. The treatment success rate was 97%.

In Ukraine, almost 5% of the population is infected with the hepatitis C virus – this is about 2 million people. That is why the question of finding a quick and effective treatment that is affordable, is urgent. Since December 2017, the international humanitarian medical organization Médecins sans frontières began a pilot project in the Mykolaiv region for the treatment of this disease, which showed the success of the combination of generic drugs with social support for patients.

The Mykolaiv region has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C in Ukraine. It was here that 900 Ukrainians received treatment under the project – they received generic drugs  daclatasvir and sofosbuvir. The advantage of generics is their affordability – they have the same chemical composition with the patented and branded medicines, but they are much cheaper. According to the head of the Médecins sans frontières mission in Ukraine, Grigor Simonyan, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has already begun the procurement of drugs that were used in the project.

Patients participating in the project received not only drugs, but also additional consultations and support from medical and social workers, as well as from other patients who had already completed treatment. Many participants noted that such support helped undergo the treatment.

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