Jeonnam Province Launches Nation's First Hepatitis C Eradication Project

On the 28th, Jeonnam Province announced that it is piloting a Hepatitis C eradication project in six counties in the southwestern region, the first of its kind nationwide, in commemoration of 'World Hepatitis Day,' and is actively advocating for the promotion of a national support project.

'World Hepatitis Day' is a commemorative day established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010 to raise global awareness about hepatitis, which causes inflammation of the liver and destroys liver cells, and to encourage interest in prevention, testing, and treatment.

Considering that hepatitis ranks second in cancer mortality rates in South Korea, Jeonnam Province decided to launch a Hepatitis C eradication project this year that links hepatitis antibody testing, genetic analysis, and free treatment.

The project involves the Jeonnam Province Infectious Disease Management Support Team, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Honam Regional Disease Response Center, Hwasun Jeonnam National University Hospital Cancer Center, and health centers of the six counties.

The project will start this year targeting six counties in the southwestern region and plans to expand to all cities and counties from 2024.

Since the treatment cost for Hepatitis C eradication is about 6 million KRW per person, requiring a total budget of approximately 100 million KRW, measures are being prepared to reduce costs by seeking donations of treatment drugs from multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Additionally, the project has been proposed to the KDCA to be promoted as a national support project, and the government is also preparing plans for nationwide expansion.

Moon Gwon-ok, Director of the Infectious Disease Management Division of Jeonnam Province, stated, “Hepatitis C has no vaccine, is not included in health checkup items, and is asymptomatic, so the timing of treatment can be missed. Therefore, early detection and subsequent early treatment are crucial,” urging active participation from the project’s target population.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.