TEHRAN – The Ministry of Health has set the goal of eliminating the country’s hepatitis C by 1405 (March 2027) in Iran, and through accurate planning and extensive participation in various sectors, Deputy Health Minister Alileza Leisi said.
The country will continue to implement diagnostic, treatment and prevention policies to ensure that it can achieve international bronze, silver and ultimately gold medals for the eradication of hepatitis C.
Officials made their remarks while dealing with the 2025 world hepatitis held on July 28th in front of representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations.
Iran has been significantly successful in managing diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis despite sharing a border with Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has the highest prevalence of infectious diseases.
Fortunately, the country has successfully implemented vaccination programs, injection safety, blood screening and preventing transmission from mothers to children, Raeisi added.
In the first step, in order to win the bronze medal, the Ministry of Health plans to identify approximately 60% of infected cases with hepatitis and treat 40% by the next Iranian year in March 2026.
He emphasized that about 13,000 to 21,000 people are diagnosed annually.
Silver medals are received in the next stage, with 70% of people with illness being diagnosed and 60% being cured. In the final stage, the gold medal, the Ministry of Health treated 70-80% of hepatitis patients, Raeisi said.
Emphasizing that hepatitis removal is not a motto but a national commitment, Reshi said the national hepatitis removal programme is focused on discovering active cases (among high-risk groups such as addicts, prisoners, rare diseases, and refugees).
Referring to the sanctions, Leshi urged the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to further support the country in achieving its goals, celebrating the efforts to provide the necessary equipment, share knowledge and reduce harm to high-risk groups.
Hepatitis is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and non-infectious drugs, leading to a variety of health problems, some of which are fatal.
Low coverage of testing and treatment is the most important gap to address to achieve global exclusion goals by 2030.
Hepatitis Awareness Week
The National Hepatitis Identification Week is scheduled to be observed from July 26th to August 2nd.
Hepatitis is a liver inflammation that causes severe liver disease and cancer.
This week we will focus on a campaign entitled “Transfer to Hepatitis Elimination.” It aims to raise public awareness, provide the community with scientific information about the disease, screen high-risk groups, engage non-governmental organizations, and support policy makers.
Media, universities and various organizations are also invited to participate in coordinating the implementation of the campaign.
Expanding access to hepatitis C is one of the country’s top priorities, the Ministry of Health website reports.
Management of hepatitis B and C is one of the key challenges of the country’s health system, and Qobad Moradi, Qobad Moradi, is the main goal of the Ministry of Health, to be abolished by 2030, is a health ministry official.
Emphasizing the role of diagnosis and care for patients with hepatitis, Moradi said that more than 3 million people live with chronic hepatitis B and C, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Thanks to free and effective treatment of the disease, early diagnosis can help avoid complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, Moradi noted.
The 2025 theme, Hepatitis: Let’s break it down, calls for urgent action to dismantle financial, social and systematic barriers that are hindering hepatitis removal and liver cancer prevention.
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