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Latvia struggles with Hepatitis C

Gederts Gelsis, RigaNovember 3, 2013

With drug costs soaring, more and more Latvians are leaving their country to seek treatment.

https://p.dw.com/p/1A9Yo

Latvia is the only country in the EU that does not provide a fully publicly funded treatment of the disease Hepatitis C. Although the government covers 75% of drug costs, that still means more than 900 euros out-of-pocket each month for many patients seeking treatment. Around 40,000 Latvians are currently infected, according to the Hepatitis Society in Latvia.

As a result more and more infected Latvians are looking for alternatives - even if it means leaving their home country to seek healthcare elsewhere in Europe. Meanwhile thousands of Latvians have signed a petition asking the government to pay for the complete therapy, but the authorities refuse have refused to do so.