Cyprus Health Minister Urges Primary Care Doctors to Lead Early Hepatitis Detection

At a seminar titled “Hepatitis: From Diagnosis to Treatment,” Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides highlighted the pivotal role of personal doctors in identifying hepatitis B and C early. He noted that modern vaccines and antiviral therapies can prevent disease progression and cure hepatitis C with over 95% success. The minister warned that chronic infections often remain asymptomatic, so regular contact with patients allows timely risk assessment and referral. He called for continuous training of primary‑care physicians, accurate case reporting, and a national committee that now covers all viral hepatitis forms. Addressing stigma, he urged scientifically grounded information to reduce fear and encourage testing, aiming to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.