Georgia could soon receive World Health Organization's (WHO) recognition as a country that has eliminated hepatitis C, Zaza Lominadze, chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Healthcare and Social Issues Committee, said.

“Probably very soon, the WHO will declare Georgia a country free of hepatitis C - this is about the gold standard. We know that more than 80,000 people have been completely cured of hepatitis C,” Lominadze said during a committee meeting.

The announcement would mark a major milestone for Georgia’s nationwide fight against the viral liver disease, which can cause serious liver damage if left untreated.

However, around 10,000 people with confirmed hepatitis C diagnoses are still not receiving treatment, Lominadze said.

He urged primary-care doctors to take a more active role in identifying these patients and encouraging them to join the country’s state-funded hepatitis C treatment program.