A healthcare-focused survey presented at a press conference on Monday, prove the low level of population’s knowledge on the risks of hepatitis B and C. According to the study, only 12% of the respondents know about the transmission of the diseases. One in two respondents do not know that viral hepatitis B and C can be transmitted by unprotected sexual contact and more than 40% are unaware about the fact that the infection may also be entirely asymptomatic and may go unrecognised. At the same time, 40% of the population doesn’t know about the existence of the vaccine against hepatitis B. Most of the respondents agree that it is very important or important to be informed about the viral hepatitis. However, more than two thirds of the respondents say they are little or not at all informed. Only 28% of the respondents took HIV tests, 15% took tests on both types of viral hepatitis, 5% - on viral hepatitis B and less than 1 percent – on hepatitis C. Only 22% of the HIV-tested persons said they received counselling before and after the test. About 61,000 cases of chronic hepatitis B and C and about 2,700 carriers of the virus are registered each year. It is found however that the number of those affected is greater. The survey also shows an increase in the death rate from hepatitis, from less than 800 cases per 100,000 persons in 1989 to 1,700 in 2005. The rate of deaths caused by chronic hepatitis ranks the fifth among the death causes and the death rate is seven times bigger than in the EU. “The Report on Moldova Population’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practices concerning Viral Hepatitis B and C and HIV and hepatitis counselling and testing” was conducted as part of the USAID HIV/AIDS Prevention Project. The results of the research will be utilised to organise a nationwide information campaign aiming at improving the population’s knowledge on hepatitis, reducing risky behaviour and cases of transmission.