Улаанбаатар
3000 Harvoni drugs to be issued free of charge
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ At its regular meeting on February 1, the Cabinet decided to allocate MNT 354 million for customs and value-added taxes of 3000 boxes of ‘Harvoni’ drug from government reserve fund in the frameworks of the implementation of ‘Healthy Mongolia’ program. The USD 928, 110 worth drugs in total are being provided on a non-refundable aid from the US Gilead Sciences Inc.
Used for treatment of Hepatitis C, the ‘Harvoni’ drug’s 12-week course of therapy costs about USD 94,000. In frames of a project named ‘Sufficiency’, Mongolia is purchasing the drug from Gilead Sciences Inc. and four Indian manufacturers. In compliance with a Cabinet decision, Health Insurance Fund is offering MNT 210 thousand discount when buying the drug starting from December 2016.
In frames of its social responsibility program, Gilead Sciences Inc. decided to supply free ‘Harvoni’ drugs to Mongolian Hepatitis C patients aged 45-60 in Arkhangai province. Thus, Health Minister A.Tsogtsetseg was assigned to cover the tax costs from government reserve fund, and take necessary measures in order to ensure the reach of the drugs to Arkhangai residents.
According to relevant studies, there are about 130 thousand Mongolians infected with Hepatitis C, and 52.5 thousand patients who require instant treatment.
