In 2023, 3,172 deaths due to viral hepatitis were recorded in the European Union - the lowest number since the start of data collection in 2011, according to Eurostat data, BTA reports.
This represents a decrease of 9.3% compared to 2022, when 3,499 deaths were recorded, and a decrease of 53.7% compared to 2013, when the victims were 6,856.
Statistics show that the disease more often affects men, who account for 58.3% of all deaths from viral hepatitis. In addition, the infection has a significant impact on people of working age - 35.7% of victims were under 65 years old, while the overall mortality rate was 14.8%.
On average for the EU in 2023, 0.64 deaths from viral hepatitis were recorded per 100,000 population.
The highest mortality rates were recorded in Italy - 1.62 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Latvia with 1.54 and Austria with 1.02. The lowest rates are in Finland (0.07) and Slovenia (0.13), while Luxembourg recorded no deaths from viral hepatitis in 2023.
For Bulgaria, the rate is around 0.57 deaths per 100,000 people, which is below the average for the European Union.
The regional analysis shows that 15 regions in the EU have recorded at least 1.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Among them are 10 regions in Italy, two in France and one each in Austria, Romania and Latvia.
The highest mortality rate was recorded in the French overseas regions of Mayotte and French Guiana - 4.86 and 2.80 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. The Italian regions of Campania (2.65), Puglia (2.58) and Sardinia (2.48) follow.
In Bulgaria, the Northwestern and Southeastern regions have recorded around 1.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the remaining regions - Southwestern, Southcentral, Northcentral and Northeastern - the indicator remains below 0.5 cases per 100,000 people.