More than 40,000 persons in Moldova are now infected with chronic viral hepatitis. Over 1,700 are new cases, recorded in 2013. According to specialists’ forecasts, viral hepatitis A morbidity in January-June this year increased to 29 cases or three times more compared with the corresponding period last year. On World Hepatitis Day that is marked on July 28, the authorities call on the people to change their attitude to this disease, IPN reports.

In a communiqué, the Ministry of Health says World Hepatitis Day instituted by the World Health Assembly in 2010 is aimed at increasing awareness of the dangers posed by hepatitis by facilitating access to testing, treatment and vaccination.

Viral hepatitis – a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E – affects millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic liver disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year. Hepatitis remains largely ignored or unknown. On World Hepatitis Day, the WHO and partners urge policy-makers, health workers and the public to ”think again” about this silent killer.

Viral hepatitis B morbidity in Moldova decreased from 25.46 cases per 100,000 people in 1997 to 1.67 in 2013, viral hepatitis C morbidity – from 6.14 to 1.52, while viral hepatitis D morbidity  - from 1.89 to 0.1.

Last year, most of the cases of acute viral hepatitis B and C were recorded among adults. Only two persons younger than 17 were affected by viral hepatitis B.

In order to prevent cases of viral hepatitis, doctors recommend immunizing oneself against hepatitis B, sterilizing the medical tools and instruments, respecting personal hygiene, drinking water from safe sources, etc.