obÌåÓý

Overview of hepatitis in Georgia

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

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

obÌåÓý 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:

In 2021, obÌåÓý worked closely with Georgian partners to develop an updated .

obÌåÓý’s role

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

Technical assistance

obÌåÓý 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 , including , and now, building a hepatitis B elimination model.
• Supporting Georgia as they serve as a pilot country for the of criteria for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Laboratory capacity building support

The obÌåÓý 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 and serving as a reference laboratory and training hub for the region.

Staffing support

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

Meeting support and facilitation

obÌåÓý 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 (NobÌåÓý) and obÌåÓý, meets monthly to coordinate hepatitis C and hepatitis B research activities and propose research topics relevant to achieving viral hepatitis elimination goals.

Impact

In 2021, to document the impact of hepatitis C treatment scale-up on disease burden, obÌåÓý 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.

Results showed:

• Nearly 2% of adults had HCV infection, indicating a 67% reduction since 2015. 1
• Nearly , 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 regarding the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HBV.3

Scaling up hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment

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

obÌåÓý 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 obÌåÓý scientists and/or funded by obÌåÓý.

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:

• Aniekwe C, Getia VK, Gvinjilia L, Manders E, Shadaker S, Schumacher IT, Mindadze M, Skhvitaridze N, Becknell S, Santas X. JPHMP. 2024; 30(5): 643-646
• Butsashvili M, Kanchelashvili G, Aslanikashvili A, Kuchuloria T, Shadaker S, Tskhomelidze I, Tsereteli M, Kamkamidze G, Patel PR, Armstrong PA. J Infect Prev. 2024. In press.

2023

• Gamkrelidze A, Shadaker S, Tsereteli M, et al. . The Journal of Infectious Diseases, September 15, 2023;228(6);684–693.
• Khetsuriani N, Gamkrelidze A, Shadaker S, et al. . Euro Surveill, 2023;28(30).
• Alkhazashvili M, Bloch E, Shadaker S, et al. . Transfusion Clinique et Biologique, 2023;30(3);307–313; ISSN 1246–7820.
• Gvinjilia L, Baliashvili D, Shadaker S, et al. . Clinical Infectious Diseases, August 1, 2023;77(3);405–413.
• Baliashvili D, Blumberg HM, Gandhi NR, et al. . PLoS Med, May 4, 2023;20(5):e1004121.
• Walker JG, Tskhomelidze I, Shadaker S, et al. . Euro Surveill, 2023;28(30):pii=2200952.
• Handanagic S, Shadaker S, Drobeniuc J, et al. . The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2023, jiad198.

2022

• Baliashvili D, Averhoff F, Kasradze A, et al. . PLoS ONE, January 21, 2022;17(1):e0262935.
• Gamkrelidze A, Handanagic S, Shadaker S, . Public Health, 2022;205;182–186; ISSN 0033–3506.
• Butsashvili M, Abzianidze T, Kamkamidze G, et al. . Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 17, 23 (2022).
• Baliashvili D, Blumberg HM, Benkeser D, et al. . Clinical Infectious Diseases, January 15, 2023;76(2);245–251.
• Shilton S, Markby J, Japaridze M, et al. . Liver International, February 7, 2022;42(4);775–786.
• Tskhomelidze I, Shadaker S, Kuchuloria T, et al. . Liver International, September 21, 2022;43(3);558–568.
• Butsashvili M, Zurashvili T, Kamkamidze G, et al. . Journal of Medical Screening, 2022;29(2):134–136.
• Morgan JR, Marsh E, Savinkina A, et al. . Journal of Viral Hepatitis March 12, 2022;29(6);474–486.
• World Health Organization. . Geneva, 2022.

Selections from previous years

• Mitruka K, Tsertsvadze T, Butsashvili M, et al. . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2015;64(28);753–757.
• Gvinjilia L, Nasrullah M, Sergeenko D, et al. . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2016;65:1132–1135.
• World Health Organization. . July 15, 2021.
• Nasrullah M, Sergeenko D, Gvinjilia L, et al. The Role of Screening and Treatment in National Progress Toward Hepatitis C Elimination — Georgia, 2015–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2017;66:773–776.
• Nasrullah M, Sergeenko D, Gamkrelidze A, et al. . Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2017;14;447–448.
• Hagan LM, Kasradze A, Salyer SJ. et al. . BMC Public Health, 2019;19(Suppl 3);480.