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WELLINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) – Tens of thousands of New Zealanders with hepatitis C are expected to benefit from a cure for the disease, available from Friday.
The decision of the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC) to fund a new drug Maviret represents a big step forward for the treatment of hepatitis C in New Zealand, said the Minister of Health , David Clark, in a statement.
"About 21,000 people have been diagnosed with hepatitis C in New Zealand and another 30,000 would have the disease but are not diagnosed.All of these people will potentially benefit from Maviret," Clark said.
Previous treatments were only available for about 3,000 people because of the type of hepatitis C they had, according to the minister.
"Maviret will cure more than 99% of New Zealanders with hepatitis C, regardless of the type or severity of liver disease and previous treatment," he said.
This offers a unique opportunity to eliminate Hepatitis C from New Zealand and is expected to save 2,500 lives and eliminate the need for more than 500 liver transplants, showed statistics.
"Maviret is a simpler treatment, consisting of a single daily dose for at least eight weeks.It also has less side effects and interactions with other drugs, which should rebadure patients "Clark said.
The government is committed to building a strong, effective and equitable public health service for all New Zealanders, he said, adding that the goal was to eliminate hepatitis. viral as a major threat to public health by 2030.
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