CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EPIDEMIC PROCESS OF HEPATITIS A IN UKRAINE (2015–2023)

espite certain trends in reducing the registered incidence of hepatitis A (HA), the problem of HA continues to be relevant. The purpose of the work was to provide an epidemiological description of HA in Ukraine in the pre-pandemic period and in modern conditions, with the determination of trends in the intensity of the epidemic process and existing risk factors. Materials and methods. The incidence of HA in dynamics in Ukraine was considered, starting from 1970, the characteristics of the epidemic process of HA were evaluated for 3 periods: 2015–2019. (pre-pandemic period), 2020–2021 (beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic), 2022–2023 (continuation of the COVID-19 epidemic and military operations). Epidemiological and statistical research methods were used. The results. The highest incidence of HA in Ukraine was registered in 1982–1983. (respectively 323.4 and 398.9 per 100 thousand population) and in 1995–1996 (302.7 and 288.3). The first pronounced decline in morbidity began in 1997. (134.3 with a decrease to 39.88 in 1999 and the next peak in 2001 – 81.2). In the future, the downward trend continued, the lowest level was recorded in 2011–2012. (3.97 and 3.07, respectively). The highest and lowest indicators for this period differed by 130 times. For 2015–2023 there were a total of 17,463 cases of HA, the highest in 2019. (3172), the smallest – in 2022. (281). The share of adults was 66.66%. From 2020 the incidence decreased sharply, and in 2020–2021 her average was 1.89. In 2022–2023 there was an increase in morbidity (+116.1%), (1.62). In 2023 there was a large outbreak with 333 cases. A pronounced increase in the incidence of HA in the Western and Central parts of the country in 2022–2023 is most likely associated with intensive population migration. In 2019–2023 among sick children, the largest share belonged to the age groups 10–14 (35.91%), 5–9 (30.90%) and 15–17 (22.51%). The average ratio of men to women was 1.2:1. The largest share of patients belonged to the age group of 25–49 years. For 2019–2023 55 outbreaks with 321 cases (5.27% of all cases) were registered. The effectiveness of the study of samples of abiotic objects on markers of the HA virus (HAV), in particular wastewater, in Ukraine turned out to be low. The issue of vaccine prevention of HA "by age" is discussed.