Advancing Viral Hepatitis Elimination in Georgia

At a glance

Georgia is one of the countries most impacted by viral hepatitis. CDC has partnered with the country of Georgia for nearly a decade to support the world's first National Hepatitis C Elimination Program. The program provides free testing and treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for all citizens. In 2021, Georgia achieved a 67% reduction in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection compared to 2015.

Display screen highlighting advancing viral hepatitis elimination in Georgia with an illustration of a liver

Overview of hepatitis in Georgia

In 2015 about 5% of adults in Georgia had current HCV infection and 3% had hepatitis B.

With the country being among the most highly affected by hepatitis C, CDC partnered with Georgia to launch the world's first National Hepatitis C Elimination Program.

CDC supports Georgia as they:

  • Develop a National Viral Hepatitis Strategic Plan.
  • Develop progress reports
  • Identify and address challenges to viral hepatitis elimination
  • Implement activities to achieve viral hepatitis elimination

Read or download the 2020–2021 progress report here:

Cover of the Georgia Hepatitis Elimination Progress Report for 2020-2021
Georgia Hepatitis Elimination Progress Report for 2020-2021

In 2021, CDC worked closely with Georgian partners to develop an updated Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Hepatitis in Georgia, 2021–2025.

CDC’s role

CDC provides technical, administrative, scientific, and programmatic support to Georgian colleagues and other partners dedicated to viral hepatitis elimination in the country.

Technical assistance

CDC has provided technical assistance to develop a viral hepatitis care cascade and implement studies and interventions to scale up prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. This includes:

  • Supporting modeling of the Hepatitis Elimination Program beginning with hepatitis C, including cost effectiveness, and now, building a hepatitis B elimination model.
  • Supporting Georgia as they serve as a pilot country for the validation of criteria for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Laboratory capacity building support

The CDC Viral Hepatitis laboratory worked with Georgian colleagues for many years to build viral hepatitis laboratory capacity and develop an external quality assurance process. This resulted in Georgia's Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research being designated in 2022 as a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Viral Hepatitis Elimination and serving as a reference laboratory and training hub for the region.

Staffing support

Since 2016, CDC has supported Georgian epidemiologists to provide day-to-day support for the Hepatitis Elimination Program. These consultants work with CDC colleagues to coordinate efforts and track program activities.

Meeting support and facilitation

CDC helps organize and facilitate key meetings held annually to support the Hepatitis Elimination Program.

  • The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting, chaired by the Division of Viral Hepatitis Director, comprises 10–12 international viral hepatitis experts who meet annually to review program progress and provide key recommendations to assist in reaching elimination targets.
  • The Hepatitis Elimination Workshop is held each year to provide in-country partners an opportunity to discuss program planning and implementation based on the TAG recommendations.
  • The Scientific Committee, co-chaired by Georgia's National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) and CDC, meets monthly to coordinate hepatitis C and hepatitis B research activities and propose research topics relevant to achieving viral hepatitis elimination goals.
A group of CDC team members stands in front of a table in an office setting.
CDC works closely with the Infectious Diseases, AIDS, and Clinical Research Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia to scale up screening and treatment for hepatitis B and C.

Impact

In 2021, to document the impact of hepatitis C treatment scale-up on disease burden, CDC supported Georgia with the design, implementation, and analysis of a second nationwide viral hepatitis serosurvey to assess the burden of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in Georgia.

Graphic depicting decrease in chronic hepatitis C in Georgia.
Since 2015, there has been a 67% reduction in chronic hepatitis C in Georgia.

Results showed:

  • Nearly 2% of adults had HCV infection, indicating a 67% reduction since 2015. 1
  • Nearly 3% of adults had chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, indicating no decrease in disease burden compared to 2015.2
    • This finding triggered the incorporation of hepatitis B elimination in the 2021–2025 national Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Hepatitis.
  • Approximately 0.03% of children ages 5–17 years had chronic HBV infection.2
    • This result enabled Georgia to be validated by the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts to have achieved the European region hepatitis B control target and showed Georgia's progress in meeting the impact target required for validation regarding the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HBV.3
CDC workers conducting field work outdoors in Georgia.
Conducting field work during the 2021 nationwide serosurvey in Georgia.

Scaling up hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment

Bar chart showing Georgia Hepatitis C Elimination Program care cascade between 2015 and 2023.
Georgia Hepatitis C Elimination Program Care Cascade — April 28, 2015–December 31, 2023.

As illustrated in the chart above, by the end of December 2023:

  • 2.5 million adults (87% of the adult population) were screened for HCV infection.
  • 105,767 people were detected to have chronic HCV infection.
  • 85,387 of those people initiated treatment.
  • 99% of those who completed treatment were cured (sustained virologic response).

What’s ahead

CDC continues to provide technical support to the country of Georgia to:

  • Implement innovative strategies to identify people with chronic HCV infection.
  • Link those people who test positive to care.
  • Scale up diagnosis and treatment of HBV infections.
  • Prevent infections by vaccinating key populations.

Scientific publications

These select scientific publications were authored or co-authored by CDC scientists and/or funded by CDC.

2024

  • Tohme RA, Shadaker S, Adamia E, et al. Progress Toward the Elimination of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the Country of Georgia, April 2015–April 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:660–666. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7330a1

2023

2022

Selections from previous years