3% of Ukrainians infected with hepatitis C virus

3% of Ukraine’s population is infected with hepatitis C virus, chief infectious diseases specialist of the Healthcare Ministry of Ukraine, head of the Bohomolets National Medical University Infectious Diseases Department Olha Holubovska told the round table “Hepatitis C virus: a strategy of struggle.” “Recently, we have received reports of the central Healthcare Ministry Sanitary Epidemiological Station. The researches of hepatitis C virus antibodies in very different populations suggest that the true prevalence of antibodies (this is not equal to same number of people infected with hepatitis C) – is from 7 to 60% among the drug addicts,” Holubovska said. She assures that Ukraine should introduce mandatory screening not only for those at risk, but for all the patients coming to hospitals. “Screening regarding hepatitis C virus antibodies is a relatively inexpensive test. Not all patients with antibodies are infected with hepatitis C,” Holubovska said, stressing, however, that “only 15% of those infected with...