The burden of viral hepatitis infection and mortality: Findings from a population-based study in Poland over 2009-2023.

Aim Of The Study: To analyze long-term epidemiological patterns and trends in the burden of infection and mortality due to viral hepatitis in Poland before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material And Methods: Data for the burden of the most common viral hepatitis types (HAV, HBV ±HDV, HCV, and HEV) over 2009-2023 were extracted from the national registries in Poland. The joinpoint regression model was used to analyze trends in viral hepatitis infections and mortality.

Results: The burden of viral hepatitis infection and mortality in Poland changed between 2009 and 2023. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of newly diagnosed HAV infection was characterized by a sharp increase over 2015-2018 compared to the other types of hepatitis. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the burden of infection and mortality among most types of hepatitis showed a change in the direction of the trend from negative to positive, which continued in subsequent years. A pronounced increasing trend for both infection and mortality occurred in the category of other viral hepatitis. Over the whole period of 2009-2023, there was only one decreasing trend for mortality due to HBV infection.

Conclusions: The findings of the study draw attention to the noticeable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the burden of viral hepatitis in Poland, which threatens to disrupt the beneficial direction of virus elimination. Trends of viral hepatitis infection and mortality require further monitoring. It is also necessary to increase preventive measures and improve access to diagnostics and the linkage to health care.