title: Epidemiology of hepatitis C in the Republic of Moldova: achievements and remaining challenges in prevention and control.
abstract: Viral hepatitis, especially those with parenteral and sexual transmission, still remain a major problem of public health, both globally and for the Republic of Moldova, due to wide spreading, endemicity, increased morbidity and mortality and high rate of invalidity following the chronization of infection, but usually neglected by population and public health authorities. This paper describes the epidemiology and preventive and control measures of hepatitis C in Moldova. Epidemiological analysis of the surveillance data on hepatitis C incidence in the Republic of Moldova was conducted. The data were obtained from the national reporting system of infectious diseases and serosurvey studies. Epidemiological particularities of acute and chronic hepatitis C in general Moldovan population and specific risk groups were evaluated. National hepatitis policies for prevention and control were analyzed. Only consolidation of all the actions stipulated in the national and international normative documents on the prevention and control of hepatitis, will help to reduce the morbidity of viral hepatitis C and probably to eliminate the new cases of disease in some regions.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Public Health of the Republic of Moldova, Viral Diseases Control Center, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. guriev_vladimir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guriev
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spinu
authors.forename: Octavian
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sajen
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isac
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spinu
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cebotari
authors.forename: Ala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donos
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006291:Health Policy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008966:Moldova / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors