Who is controlling hepatitis A outbreaks in Ukraine – explanation by MP
21 May 18:14
In Ukraine, control over infectious diseases, in particular hepatitis A, is carried out by the Public Health Center, which is subordinated to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. This was stated in a commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian" by MP Victoria Vagner, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Health.
According to Wagner, the main tasks of the Public Health Center in the field of combating infectious diseases include
- monitoring and surveillance of diseases;
- analysis of morbidity rates;
- organization of laboratory diagnostics;
- informing the population about the risks;
- preparation of preventive and response recommendations.
In addition to the central level, epidemiological control is partially carried out by regional and municipal structures. In particular, in Kyiv, these functions are performed by the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Kyiv City CDC ), a regional division of the Ministry of Health.
In May 2025, it was this center that responded promptly to an outbreak of hepatitis A in the Vidradny neighborhood (Solomianskyi district of Kyiv). As of May 13 , 33 cases of the disease were recorded, 19 of them among children. The Center organized free testing for residents and conducted an epidemiological investigation, including water sampling from the pump rooms.
Another member of the Committee on the Health of the Nation, Oksana Dmytrieva, advised to contact the Public Health Center directly, which has full information about the situation and the measures taken. At the same time, according to the journalist, it has been impossible to reach the Public Health Center for the second day in a row.
As a reminder, an outbreak of hepatitis A has been reported in Kyiv, concentrated in the Vidradny neighborhood of Solomianskyi district. As of May 21, 2025, 76 cases of the disease have been registered, 35 of which are children. There are 48 patients, including 21 children, undergoing inpatient treatment.
Response measures
Experts check the water quality in the neighborhood on a daily basis, and it currently meets state sanitary standards. It is planned to monitor all water supply wells to identify possible sources of contamination.
Recommendations for residents
Health officials urge Kyiv residents to follow good personal hygiene practices, wash their hands thoroughly, boil water before drinking, and seek medical attention if they experience symptoms of hepatitis A, such as fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, darkened urine, and jaundice.
The hepatitis A virus is transmitted mainly through contaminated water or food and can persist in the environment for a long time. The incubation period usually lasts 14-28 days.
The city authorities continue the epidemiological investigation and are taking measures to localize the outbreak.
