Victoria is one of the patients who have received treatment for hepatitis C in Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine. Across Ukraine, it is estimated that 5% of the population are living with hepatitis C, but the treatment has not been readily available due to the lack of affordable generic drugs in the country. The medication ‘sofosbuvir,’ the backbone of hepatitis C treatment, is sold at 750 USD (19,440 UAH) per 12-week treatment course in Ukraine.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing hepatitis C treatment since November 2017, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Mykolaiv Regional Centre of Palliative Care and Integrated Services. Patients who are currently under this treatment are people co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C, as they are more vulnerable to the progress of the disease.
Just like Victoria, there are many more people waiting too long for the life-saving treatment. Generic versions of such drugs should urgently be introduced so that those who need them most can have more chance to get cured and live their life.