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93 hepatitis C infection cases identified in Azerbaijan this year

26 July 2011 10:49 (UTC +04:00)

The World Health Organization observed July 28 as the World Hepatitis Day, which aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. 350 000 people die from hepatitis C (HCV) in the world every year.

World Hepatitis Day provides an opportunity to focus on specific actions such as: Strengthening prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases; Increasing hepatitis B vaccine coverage and integration into national immunization programmes; and Coordinating a global response to hepatitis.

Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E can cause acute and chronic infection and inflammation of the liver leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. These viruses constitute a major global health risk with around 350 million people being chronically infected with hepatitis B and around 170 million people being chronically infected with hepatitis C.
Egypt, Pakistan and China are top three countries for the number of infection cases among the population.

Azerbaijanâ€™s senior epidemiologist Ibadulla Agayev told APA there has not been an increase in the number of hepatitis infection cases in Azerbaijan in recent years. â€œHepatitis C is a infectious disease. There is no infection growth in Azerbaijan nowâ€, said Agayev and added that every person can protect himself or herself from this disease. â€œAccording to the plan of the Health Ministry of Azerbaijan, preventive measures are conducted in the areas where the disease has been identified. All infected people registered by the ministry are under the regular controlâ€.

Head of the epidemiological department of the Republican Hygiene and Epidemiology Center Emin Babayev told APA 93 hepatitis C infection cases were identified in Azerbaijan this year. â€œThe number of infection cases decreased 25.5% in comparison to the relevant period of last year. 125 infection cases were identified in 2010 in the countryâ€. Babayev said 31 cases were identified in Baku in the past six monthsâ€.