HOTLINE ON HEPATITIS C OPENS IN ARMENIA

ARKA
May 19, 2008

YEREVAN, May 19. /ARKA/. The Swiss Roche Company in cooperation
with the Arabkir Medical Centre has opened a hotline on hepatitis C,
Hoffmann La Roche Armenia office director Davit Arakelyan said.

The hotline telephone number is 54-72-54. The service offers free
consultation and examination for revelation of both antibodies and
a hepatitis C virus, said Marine Hovsepyan, Head of the Laboratory
Service of the Institute of Children’s and Teenagers’ Health of the
Arabkir Medical Centre.

Hepatitis C is a blood-transmitted disease and in 5% cases it is
transmitted sexually. The risk group includes drug addicts, blood
recipients and medical workers. To some extent, there is a risk of
infection at dentist’s and beauty salons.

At the initial stage of the disease people feel quite healthy and the
disease is revealed at a more complicated stage of cirrhosis and liver
cancer. Only 10%-15% people suffering from hepatitis C get over the
disease by themselves. Due to antivirus therapy hepatitis C stopped
to be considered incurable as early as eight years ago.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress