The Public Health Institute (ISHP) said no cases of hepatitis B had been recorded in children aged 0 – 14 for more than a decade.

“Because of this achievement, Albania will be certified by WHO for the elimination of hepatitis B in the pediatric age group,” Artan Simaku, an ISHP specialist, told media.

The milestone follows a national study conducted by ISHP in cooperation with WHO and is attributed mainly to the systematic vaccination of newborns within the first 24 hours after birth.

“Hepatitis B is a viral infection affecting the liver and can cause cirrhosis or liver cancer in its chronic form,” Simaku said.

According to WHO, viral hepatitis infections cause around 3,500 deaths globally each day. The disease remains widespread among high-risk groups such as intravenous drug users, people with hemophilia, and those who have undergone multiple blood transfusions, where infection rates can reach 70-80%.

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Gega competed in the second heat of the event at the ‘Stade de France’, but she advance to the final of the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase, after finishing in 9th place among 12 competitors, missing out on a chance to compete for a medal.

After a strong start, where she was positioned within the top five, the Albanian athlete struggled in the latter part of the race, failing to be among the top five athletes competing for a medal in the final.

Gega’s time of 9:27.41 was well short of the top performers and this race marked a swift end to her campaign at these Olympics, her third appearance on the world’s biggest stage following Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The steeplechase event concludes the Albanian athletics team’s participation in Paris, leaving only wrestling events scheduled from August 8 to 10.

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