DUSHANBE, October 30, 2013, Asia-Plus – In Tajikistan, 7,400 people have contracted all types of hepatitis over the first nine months of this year, which is 1,300 cases more than in the same period last year, Navrouz Jaffarov, the deputy head of the Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said.

“Of those 7,400 people, 6,000 have contracted Hepatitis A, with 85 percent of them being children under the age of 14,” Jaffarov said, noting that the Hepatitis A situation has not reached the epidemic threshold in the country.

He further added that autumn was the season for abdominal space diseases, including Hepatitis A.  “Therefore, the odds are that people can contract this type of hepatitis,” Jaffarov noted.

According to him, Tajikistan does not carry out the Hepatitis A vaccination program, and therefore only the preventive measures of combating this disease remain.

Medical workers are currently carrying out explanatory works in educational facilities and families, the deputy head of the Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision said.