Nizhny Novgorod residents with hepatitis C can now receive treatment at polyclinics and district hospitals.

      19 September 2025 11:28

      [188]

      Society

      In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the system for providing medical care to patients with hepatitis C has been updated. Now most patients can receive treatment and regular examinations at outpatient clinics in their place of residence or in district hospitals. Previously, specialized therapy could only be obtained at the Regional Hepatology Center based at Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Nizhny Novgorod.

      According to the regional Ministry of Health, since 2025 the fight against hepatitis C has been designated as a separate direction within the new national project "Longer and Active Life." Expanding access to treatment not only improves patients' quality of life but also contributes to improving the epidemiological situation overall.

      According to the region’s chief freelance infectious disease specialist at the Ministry of Health, Elena Tikhomolova, about 16,000 people are currently registered for medical follow-up for hepatitis C in the region. Previously, treatment was lengthy — from 6 to 12 months — and required trips to the regional center. Today patients with uncomplicated forms of the disease receive therapy under the supervision of local infectious disease doctors and general practitioners.

      "For patients whose liver function is reduced and who require daily monitoring of treatment dynamics, support day hospitals are being set up in several municipalities. In addition, the duration of the treatment course has been reduced to 8–12 weeks," she said.

      The year 2025 has also been pivotal in terms of financing. As Elena Tikhomolova noted, the cost of a course of therapy per patient ranges from 250,000 to 360,000 rubles. Previously, treatment was mainly paid for from the regional budget and partially from mandatory health insurance funds. Now, thanks to federal support, the region has the opportunity to significantly increase the volume of drug procurement.

      "Thanks to federal funding, original expensive drugs of foreign and domestic production are being purchased. This will make it possible to treat from 1,500 to 2,000 patients annually. At the same time, the effectiveness of the therapy reaches 98%. We are approaching the goal of reducing incidence to a minimum no later than 2030. This is precisely the task set for the country's regions by the national project," the specialist added.

      The new strategy also addresses prevention and diagnosis. From this year, the hepatitis C test has been included in the mandatory medical check-up program for citizens over 25 years old — even if they are not in risk groups.

      Tikhomolova explained that before the 1980s infection could occur through blood transfusions, since there were no methods to detect the virus. In the 1990s the main route of transmission became injections with non-sterile syringes, mainly among users of psychoactive substances. Today the infection often spreads when visiting unscrupulous cosmetology and hairdressing salons where sanitary norms are violated. There also remains a risk of sexual transmission.

      According to the specialist, hepatitis C was previously often detected incidentally — for example, during hospitalization for other reasons or when a patient already showed external signs of liver damage. Including the test in the medical check-up program will make diagnosis systematic and allow treatment to begin at early stages when it is most effective.

      The national project "Longer and Active Life" has been implemented in Russia since 2025 by order of President Vladimir Putin. It includes 11 federal directions, including projects to combat cardiovascular and oncological diseases, diabetes, hepatitis, as well as to modernize primary health care and develop the rehabilitation system.

      Earlier it was reported that the Nizhny Novgorod region will receive 67.7 million rubles to fight cancer.

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