An estimated 200,000 people in Iran are infected with the hepatitis C virus and are not aware of their condition, according to Dr Moayed Alavian, head of Iran Hepatitis Network.
“People who have had tattoos or piercings as well as those who have injected drugs should get tested as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying by Aftab News.
While antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of persons with the infection by reducing their risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis, the rate of early diagnosis of the disease is low in the country.
In July 2016, an effective antiviral biosimilar interferon medicine for the disease ‘Sovodak’ was unveiled in Iran. Insurance covers 70% of the medicine costs and patients pay 23 million rials ($575) for three months of therapy.
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