Hepatitis B is a viral liver disease that can pose a serious threat to health. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which attacks liver cells and disrupts the liver’s normal functioning.
In adults, the infection usually takes an acute form, and the body is often able to fight off the virus on its own. Immunity then develops, so reinfection with hepatitis B does not usually occur.
However, the situation is different for young children and people with weakened immune systems: they are much less likely to recover from acute hepatitis B, and in approximately 90% of cases the disease becomes chronic.
Overall, around 10% of those infected develop chronic hepatitis B — a condition in which the virus remains in the body for more than six months, is detectable in the blood, and can be passed on to others. People with chronic hepatitis B require regular medical monitoring, as they are at increased risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer.Hepatitis B is a serious global public health problem. At the same time, modern medicine has effective tools for managing the disease, and timely diagnosis, treatment and support help people to lead full and active lives.
Prevalence
Worldwide, 254 million people are living with the hepatitis B virus.
Ukraine has been officially recognised by the WHO as a country with a high prevalence of viral hepatitis. According to data from the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (November 2024), hepatitis B has infected 1.5% of the population ≈559,000 people, but only 3.8% ≈21,348 people are under medical supervision, meaning that only one in 25 of those infected has sought medical help.
These figures highlight the scale of the hidden epidemic and the importance of systematic approaches to the prevention, early detection and treatment of hepatitis B at national and global levels.
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