Voivodeship Level Research Articles

Borelioza z Lyme w Polsce w 2022 roku

IntroductionIn Poland, Lyme disease has been subject to mandatory reporting and registration since 1996, and following EU law, cases of neuroborreliosis have been reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) since 2019. Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes genus, and humans become infected through the bite of an infected tick. Due to the varied symptoms, diagnosis can be difficult and usually involves two-stage serological diagnostics. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland in 2022 compared to the situation in previous years.Material and MethodsThe epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland was assessed on the basis of the data sent to NIPH NIH – NRI by voivodeship sanitary-epidemiological stations and published in the bulletin “Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland in 2022”.ResultsIn 2022, 17 369 cases of Lyme disease were registered, including 776 hospitalizations. This was a significant increase in cases by 38.96% and hospitalizations by 88.81% compared to the previous year. The seasonality that characterizes Lyme disease was noticeable in individual quarters, i.e. an increase in the number of cases from 1 151 in Q1 to 7 267 in Q3 and a decrease in Q4 to 5 708. At the voivodeship level, the highest incidence was recorded in the Podlaskie (81.2 per 100 000), Małopolskie (79.8 per 100 000) and Lubelskie (76.8 per 100 000) voivodeships.ConclusionsThe epidemiological situation of Lyme disease is gradually returning to the state before the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of hospitalized cases increased slightly (from 3.3% in 2021 to 4.5% in 2022), which, combined with the increase in the number of cases, meant an increase in the number of hospitalizations due to Lyme disease by almost 89%. The highest incidence was consistently observed in the eastern part of Poland (Podlaskie, Warmińsko-mazurskie, Lubelskie voivodeships).

Estimating risk using the novel Particulate Matters years index (ePM-years index). A report from the nationwide EP-PARTICLES study

Abstract Background Air pollution is the largest environmental risk factor, especially for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we present an original concept of estimating the risk associated with exposure to air pollution: the Particulate Matters years index (ePM-years index). Objective To assess the predictive performance of the ePM-years index. Methods The ePM-years index is an indicator of hypothetical exposure to air pollution. It is estimated by multiplying the number of years spent in a given environment by the difference between the average annual PM2.5 concentration and the allowed level of pollution given by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines (Figure 1). We collected data from 2011 to 2020 on mortality and hospitalizations from National Health Fund and the Central Statistical Office in Poland, respectively. For further analysis, we used an age-standardized rate (SR), established on the European Standard Population structure. The source of air pollution data was GEM-AQ air quality modeling system. All data were connected with TERYT codes, all analyses were conducted at the county level (LAU-1) and then aggregated to the voivodeship level (NUTS-2). Poisson regression models were used to estimate associations between CVD mortality, ePM-years, and population level social and health status. We also estimated the attributable fraction of CVD mortality due to air pollution using AirQ+ methodology from the WHO. Results We recorded 4,010,531 deaths including 1,669,464 (41.6%) deaths due to CVD with a median age of 78.16 (SD=12.54), and 53.4% of females (N=914,932). Current smokers amounted to 29.9% (23.4%-33.2%). The main causes of death were coronary artery disease [405,268 (24.3%)] and heart failure [376,592 (22.6%)]. The mean Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was 9644 EUR (7517-12,048), and the mean yearly PM2.5 concentration was 23.3 (SD=6.3) μg/m3, corresponding with the mean ePM-index 35.8 (21.5-66.6) in analysed time. The SR for CVD mortality was 500.3 (min. 461.9 – max. 604.5), the SR hospitalization rates were as follows: hypertension 312 (299-342), diabetes 90 (78.9-95.9), and HF 557.9 (310-728.4). There was an association of the ePM-years index with CVD mortality (shown as increase per 10 ePM-years): In Model 1 adjusted for GDP, risk ratio (RR) 1.023 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.002-1.044); in Model 2 adjusted for comorbidities, RR=1.025 (95%CI: 1.004-1.046); in Model 3 adjusted for GDP, comorbidities and weather conditions RR=1.027 (95%CI: 1.005-1.049). We estimated that 16.2% (N=324,460) [95%CI: 12.54% -17.9%] of CVD deaths were attributable to PM2.5 exposure, using the WHO's air quality guideline as the reference. Conclusions The ePM-years index may be used as a tool for risk stratification for patients and incorporated into CVD outcomes prediction models. The index can help with planning of appropriate primary and secondary prevention schemes related to long-term pollution exposure.

The spatial structure of domestic tourist trips of Polish residents in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

In Poland in 2020, the number of domestic tourist trips decreased by over one fi ft h (more for short-term than long-term trips), which was probably related to the Covid-19 pandemic. This large decline in the number of domestic tourist trips was not associated with significant changes in their spatial structure. The recovery in domestic tourist trips in 2022 also did not affect their spatial structure, which continues to be mainly determined by the distribution of tourist attractions in the country. The analysis at the voivodeship level showed no preference were observed during the Covid-19 pandemic for domestic trips to voivodeships with a lower level of urbanization (i.e. voivodeships with a greater share of rural areas, less frequently visited so far - generally with lower tourist values). The spatial structure of the recovery in domestic tourism turned out to be sensitive to the level of Covid-19 deaths, which slowed it down. In 2022, the recovery in domestic tourist traffi c was somewhat influenced by the war in neighboring Ukraine, which had a significant slowing effect in the eastern voivodeships of Poland.

DEPENDENCE OF THE VOLUME OF NATURAL FERTILIZER CONSUMPTION IN RELATION TO THE LEVEL OF LIVESTOCK DENSITY IN POLAND

The article presents the results of an analysis of the dependence of the volume ofconsumption of various types of natural fertilizers in Poland, on the intensity of animal husbandry. As a measure of the intensity of animal husbandry, the level of animal stocking rate was adopted. The scope of the analysis covered the years 2017-2020. The amount of natural fertilizer consumption was determined at the level of voivodeships. The study showed that the size of animal stocking rates in Poland is determined by the share of cattle, followed by pig and poultry stocking rates. Analysis of basic statistical indicators, confirmed spatial inequality with regard to the location of animal husbandry in Poland at the regional level. The intensity ofmanure application is a reflection of the level of livestock stocking, and this relationship isexplained by a 2 polynomial regression, where R2 = 0.7326. The highest intensity oflivestock and natural fertilization in Poland was the Podlaskie Voivodeship, where theaverage level of natural fertilizer use in recent years was 11.48 t/ha UAA, and the stocking rate was 85.2 LU/100 ha UAA, while the average level of use for Poland is 4.64 t/ha UAA. The amount of each type of manure applied per large animal unit (LU) is relatively constant, and in Poland in recent years has been: 6.0 t of manure, 0.8 t of poultry manure, 1.3 m3 of liquid manure and 2.4 m3 of slurry.

Wojewoda w systemie organów bezpieczeństwa i porządku publicznego

The aim of the article is to present the position of the voivode in the system of security authorities and public order in the voivodeship and its powers in relation to managers’ services, inspections and guards constituting the combined administration in the voivodeship. These powers developed since the introduction of the system reform in 1990 in relation to the creation of a dualism of local administrative bodies: local government at the commune level and local general government administration bodies. The basic rights of the voivode in the scope of safety and public order are currently defined in the Act of 23 January 2009 on the voivode and government administration in the voivodship. The Law the Police of 6th of April 1990 states that it is a body of security and public order at the voivodeship level, and that the voivodeship police chief represents the voivode in performing tasks in that regard, except for matters related to operational and exploratory investigations and prosecution of offences, as well as issuing individual administrative acts, if the laws so provide. The performance of tasks by the voivodeship police chief on behalf of the voivode does not mean, however, that the voivode is an official superior over the chief of police. Nor does grouping and superintendence imply the organisational inclusion of the auxiliary apparatus of the voivodeship chief of police in the provincial office, since it is the sovereign decision of the Chief Police Officer to determine the principles of organisation and the scope of action of chiefs. There is also no financial integration. The article also points out that the Act on the Voivode and Government Administration in the Voivodship defines the basic functions of the voivode, which include those related to public security and order in the voivodship. Particular tasks arising from these functions are defined by special laws, endowing the voivode with appropriate legal means for implementing these tasks, including authoritative means.

Kilka uwag na tle projektu ustawy zmieniającego powoływanie i funkcjonowanie rad seniorów

This article is an assessment of the planned normative changes to the content of local government laws, i.e. the Act of 8 March 1990 on municipal government, the Act of 5 June 1998 on county government and the Act of 5 June 1998 on provincial government, as regards the operation of senior citizens’ councils. The purpose of this study is to identify the main problems, which may be a contribution to further in-depth doctrinal discussion. The main modifications relate to the possibility of introducing the indicated instrument of semi-direct democracy also at the county and voivodeship level, as well as the initiative to establish a council of seniors at the request of residents. The conducted considerations contain specific de lege ferenda postulates and also determine whether the planned changes will not affect the essence of the indicated participatory instrument.

The Implementation of Space Policy Rules for Development of the Emerging Geographical Regions. Pace Technology Park in Lubuskie Polish Province-a Case Study

The article is devoted to the problems of the growing and developing space sector in Poland, and above all, its impact on building a competitive, knowledge-based economy. The aim of the work was to present the efforts of the regions, focusing on the example of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, aimed at building research, development and implementation infrastructure, thanks to which cooperation is established between the local government at the regional level, the world of science, and enterprises. Thanks to such cooperation, it is possible not only to build real relationships between these environments, and in particular, the result of these interactions will be specific economic cooperation, locating new economic entities in the region, or the formation of new companies operating in the space sector. The main part of the work is a case study which presents the initiative to create a Space Technology Park taken by the local government of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, and carried out jointly with the University of Zielona Góra and Hertz Systems LTD. This is an excellent proof that at the voivodeship level, very important initiatives for the development of the space sector can be undertaken as part of a de facto intraregional regional policy.

Uwięziony, wysunięty na czoło, zganiony, awansowany… Meandry kariery politycznej Tadeusza Dudy, działacza partyjnego i urzędnika państwowego

The article describes the life of Tadeusz Duda, a 20th-century politician and official from the Lublin region, who, among others, headed the Office of Internal Affairs at the Presidium of the Provincial National Council in Lublin and sat in the Presidiums of the County National Councils in Lubartów and Biała Podlaska. Hence he was a significant figure in the regional authorities in the Lublin Voivodeship and he certainly should be seen as a representative of the ruling elite in People's Poland. The stranger is that it remains virtually unknown. This happened probably because he was unlucky for some time to fall out of favor with the ruling party as a result of being punished twice by disciplinary penalties by the party control committees of the Polish Workers’ Party and the Polish United Workers’ Party – sort of party courts. It was important not only because of the role played by those parties, on which the status and social position of citizens depended, but also because he was with them (and with their ideological predecessor, the Communist Union of Polish Youth) ideologically and professionally connected from his youth – as an employee of the full-time party apparatus at the poviat and voivodeship level (including secretary of the Poviat Committee of the PPR in Lubartów). The blame for the punishments imposed on him, was partly borne by himself, by making such and no other decisions, partly by people who had personal quarrels with him. However, the determination he showed in the fight to regain his good name meant that he finally managed to obtain the desired higher education and take an important position in the provincial state administration.

Impact of Land Use Change on the Value of Tourist Property

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of land use change for tourism-related purposes on their value. The research was carried out in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The period of the research covered the years 2014-2019. The research covered all Polish communes, in which the land use was changed for tourist or recreational activities. The analysis covered the years 2014-2019. Design/Methodology/Approach: The resolutions of individual councils' communes regarding the change of the local spatial development plan in the scope of changing the use of the real estate for tourism were analyzed (in communes, where the local spatial development plan was in force). The analysis also included decisions authorizing the exclusion of land from agricultural or forestry production issued by executive bodies of communes. The research concerned the years 2014-2019 and covered all Polish voivodeships. To analyze changes in the land value due to the adoption or change in local spatial development plans, as well as to issue a decision authorizing the exclusion of land from agricultural and forestry production, data from estimation reports prepared for calculating the planning fee in the years 2014-2019 were used. For better result presentation, data on individual communes were presented at the level of voivodeships. Findings: Based on the conducted research, it can be concluded that change in the purpose of the property for purposes related to conducting agricultural activity results in increasing its value. Practical Implications: The article contains much valuable information, which may constitute the base material and reference further research conducted by scientific specialists studying the agricultural land market. The article can assist those wishing to invest in agricultural real estate and pursue tourism investments. Originality/Value: An analysis of changes in real estate value due to a change in its purpose to the tourist one may be an essential element in forecasting the financial consequences of adopting or changing the local land use plans.

Small area estimates of the low work intensity indicator at voivodeship level in Poland

Abstract The EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) has provided annual estimates of the number of labour market indicators for EU countries since 2003, with an almost exclusive focus on national rates. However, it is impossible to obtain reliable direct estimates of labour market statistics at low levels based on the EU-SILC survey. In such cases, model-based small area estimation can be used. In this paper, the low work intensity indicator for the spatial domains in Poland between 2005-2012 was estimated. The Rao and You (1994), Fay and Diallo (2012), and Marhuenda, Molina and Morales (2013) models were applied. The bootstrap MSE for the discussed methods was proposed. The results indicate that these models provide more reliable estimates than direct estimation.

Measuring the efficiency of the healthcare sector in Poland – a window-DEA evaluation

PurposeThe main aim of the study was to measure and assess the efficiency of the healthcare system in Poland.Design/methodology/approachAn output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis model with a 2-years window analysis extension was used between 2013 and 2018. The analysis was completed with a determination of the sources of productivity changes (between the first and last year of the study period) and factors that influence efficiency.FindingsEfficient regions have been identified and the spatial diversity in their efficiency was confirmed. The study identified individual efficiency trends together with “all-windows” best and worst performers. Using panel modeling, it was confirmed that the efficiency of health protection is influenced by, among others, accreditation certificates, the length of the waiting list or the number of medical personnel.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the analysis was conducted at the voivodeship level (NUTS2), which was fully justified, it would be equally important to analyze data with a lower aggregation level. It would be extremely valuable from the perspective of difficulties faced by the healthcare system in Poland.Practical implicationsThe identification of areas and problems affecting the efficiency of the healthcare system in Poland may also be a hint for other countries with similar system solutions that also struggle with the same problems.Originality/valueThe paper explains the efficiency of the country's healthcare system while also paying attention to changes in its level, factors influencing it, spatial diversity and impact on the sector functioning.

Comparative Analysis of Regional Competitiveness in Poland from 2010–2019 in the Context of the Concept of Sustainable Development

The stimulation of regional competitiveness is a difficult and complex process that leads to the achievement of a competitive position against other regions covered in the comparison. The study includes a comparative analysis taking into account the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) level of voivodeships in Poland in 2010–2019 and, as a supplement, a Multi-Dimensional Comparative Analysis and cluster analysis. This made it possible to select a group of voivodeships characterized by a stable and relatively highly competitive position compared to the rest (voivodeships: Mazowieckie, Śląskie, Wielkopolskie, and Dolnośląskie). The apparent spatial disparity in the competitiveness of Polish voivodeships may be a result of long-term socioeconomic processes (such as sparse urbanization and industrialization), the polarized growth of competition leaders and the adverse effects of such polarization, i.e., the draining of competitive potential (such as qualified staff) from neighboring voivodeships.

Regional Diversification of Potential, Production and Efficiency of Use of Biogas and Biomass in Poland

Energy obtained from renewable sources is an important element of the sustainable development strategy of the European Union and its member states. The aim of this research is, therefore, to assess the potential and use of renewable energy sources and their effectiveness from the regional perspective in Poland. The research covered the years 2012 and 2018. The diversification of production and potential of renewable energy sources was defined on the basis of biogas and biomass. Calculations made using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method showed that, in 2012, only three voivodeships achieved the highest efficiency in terms of the use of biogas and biomass resources; in 2018, this number increased to four. Comparing the effective units in 2012 and 2018, it can be seen that their efficiency frontier moved upwards by 56% in terms of biogas and 21% in terms of to biomass. Despite a large relative increase in the production of heat from biogas by 99% compared to the production of heat from biomass by 38%, the efficiency frontier for biogas did not change considerably. It was found that the resources of solid biomass are used far more intensively than the resources of biogas. However, in the case of biogas, a significant increase in the utilization of the production potential was observed: from 3.3% in 2012 to 6.4% in 2018, whereas in the same years, the utilization of solid biomass production potential remained at the same level (15.3% in 2012, 15.4% in 2018). It was also observed that, at the level of voivodeships, the utilization of biogas and biomass production potential is negatively correlated with the size of this potential. The combined potential of solid biomass and biogas can cover the demand of each of the studied regions in Poland in terms of thermal energy. The coverage ranges from 104% to 1402%. The results show that when comparing biomass and biogas, the production of both electricity and heat was dominated by solid biomass. Its high share occurred especially in voivodeships characterized by a high share of forest area and a low potential for biogas production (Lubuskie Voivodeship, Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship).

Sport w Policji Państwowej Województwa Śląskiego w latach 1922–1939

The development of sport in the police in 1922–1939 played an important role in the professional and private life of every policeman. In the police work, the basis for the implementation of the entrusted tasks is an above-average level of motor skills. The physical fitness system in the Silesian and state police of the Second Polish Republic is completely omitted in the literature on the subject. Therefore, the goal of this article was to undertake further historical research in this area, taking into account the broad issue of the development of sport in The Police during this period. In the article, on the basis of a query of historical materials collected in the Archives of Modern Records in Warsaw, the Central Archives of Police in Warsaw, the State Archives in Katowice, the Silesian Government and the Provincial Office in Katowice, I described courses and trainings increasing the fitness and promotion of physical culture among officers. They form the entire system of improving the efficiency in the ranks of The Silesian Police. I detailed the actions that led to the uprising in Silesia and across the country dozens of Police Sports Clubs. The article is an attempt to present an important issue concerning the functioning of this formation in the field of pro-sport activities. It contains descriptions of courses, trainings, sport disciplines, instructors and trainers, types of competitions and sports results at the voivodeship level.

„Trzeba będzie przejrzeć ludzi od wszystkich możliwych stron”. Sprawa Juliana Sekity przed Wojewódzką Komisją Kontroli Partyjnej przy KW PZPR w Olsztynie i jej następstwa (1949–1950/1956–1957)

The paper discusses the execution of the laws of the 3rd Plenum of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party (KC PZPR) (11–13 November 1949) in terms of verifying its members on the example of Julian Sekita (1897–1989) – a lawyer with pre–war experience in the judiciary – the first President of Regional Court in Olsztyn in the years 1945–1949. From the viewpoint of particular Party members or candidates that were affected by the cleansing of ranks, both the content of the accusations and the mechanism of deciding on their exclusion were crucial. Depriving someone of the Party card while the totalitarian state was being built often meant losing their professional standing and actual elimination from the broadly understood public sphere. In practice, it led to defensive mechanisms among the excluded, such as appeals to Party instances directly superior to the basic organisations. Eventually, the decisions on approving, changing or repealing the punishments belonged to voivodeship–level Party control committees. It was a crucial issue, especially for those Party members who faced charges of ideological nature that situated them in the category of class enemies.

Kształtowanie układu administracyjnego II Rzeczypospolitej w świetle ówczesnych map = Development of the administrative system of Poland’s Second Republic as revealed in maps of the period

This article pursues an analysis seeking to explain how political borders and administrative boundaries took shape in the Polish state that came back into being at the end of the First World War. This was a continuing period of instability from a military point of view, given the ongoing war with Bolshevik Russia (which continued through to 1920). The further investigation of this subject matter is assisted by the presentation here of cartography in the form of 8 original maps coming into being at that historic time. The first map dates from early 1919 – as first elections to the Legislative Sejm were pending. It thus shows constituencies (electoral districts) which at that time coincided with the country’s (county-level) units of administration. The presentation of this little-known (in essence now-forgotten) cartographic configuration offers a starting point for the further consideration of the political borders and administrative division that took shape in the newly-reborn Poland. Further historical maps included in the text thus show the Polish state with borders as variously construed, in what were a mixture of both authors’ concepts as to how these ought to look and borders actually existing at the given time and adjusted to the political situation of the given moment. These were thus limits set by military action, in the context of the armed conflicts that broke out with the polities neighbouring with Poland. The map included last in the text came out in 1921. It presents Poland’s political and administrative layout in the wake of the entry into force of the Treaty of Versailles, as well as in line with the provisions of the Treaty of Riga definitively setting the course of Poland’s eastern border. Also marked out on it is the internal division of the country into units at voivodeship level, as had been decided upon by the authorities of the independent Polish state. In essence, it was the political and administrative borders and boundaries established at that time that would persist unchanged through to 1938.

Regional household poverty and mobility analysis – a transition probability approach

The main objective of this paper was to estimate and analyse transition-probability matrices for all 16 of Poland’s NUTS-2 level regions (voivodeship level). The analysis is conducted in terms of the transitions among six expenditure classes (per capita and per equivalent unit), focusing on poverty classes. The period of analysis was two years: 2015 and 2016. The basic aim was to identify both those regions in which the probability of staying in poverty was the highest and the general level of mobility among expenditure classes. The study uses a two-year panel sub-sample of unidentified unit data from the Central Statistical Office (CSO), specifically the data concerning household budget surveys. To account for differences in household size and demographic structure, the study used expenditures per capita and expenditures per equivalent unit simultaneously. To estimate the elements of the transition matrices, a classic maximum-likelihood estimator was used. The analysis used Shorrocks’ and Bartholomew’s mobility indices to assess the general mobility level and the Gini index to assess the inequality level. The results show that the one-year probability of staying in the same poverty class varies among regions and is lower for expenditures per equivalent units. The highest probabilities were identified in Podkarpackie (expenditures per capita) and Opolskie (expenditures per equivalent unit), and the lowest probabilities in Kujawsko-Pomorskie (expenditures per capita) and Małopolskie (expenditures per equivalent unit). The highest level of general mobility was noted in Małopolskie, for both categories of expenditures.

Determinants of investment expenditure of local government (voivodeships)

Investments of the local government are an important determinant of development both for the regions and for the whole society. The aim of the article is to evaluate the possibility of financing investment activities by the local governments at voivodeship level in Poland. The scope of investment expenditures of these units was also analysed. The adopted time scope of the study covers the period 2012-2018. Among the levels of the local government units, voivodeship allocated the largest part of funds for investment. The level of investment expenditure of local governments varied greatly from region to region.

Financialization in the Regional Aspect. An Attempt to Measure a Phenomenon.

Abstract The aim of the work was to analyze the possibilities of measuring the phenomenon of financialization on a regional basis. The article attempts the move with the measurement of financialization from the level of countries to the level of regions. In the paper, some variables that can measure financialization at the level of voivodeships were used to create an index of regional financialization. The research proposal was verified empirically, using data from 2005–2015 for 16 Polish voivodeships. The results obtained allowed for the ranking of individual regions of the country, in terms of the degree of intensification of financialization. The regional approach is a subject, which is poorly recognized in the literature on the subject. However, according to the authors of the article, individual regions of the country may have a different degree of intensity of financialization, and knowledge on this subject may form the basis for strategic decisions regarding further development of these regions. The authors of the work wanted to pay attention to this issue and initiate further research in this direction. The presented methodology is only an attempt to measure this phenomenon and can be developed in subsequent studies.

Hepatitis B in Poland in 2017

Evaluation of the epidemiological situation of hepatitis B in Poland in 2017 in relation to previous years. Analysis was carried out on data on hepatitis B and HBV infections registered in the Epidemiological Interview Registration System (SRWE) kept in NIPH-NIH. Aggregate data published in the annual bulletins “Infectious Diseases and Poisonings in Poland” and “Vaccinations in Poland” were also used. In 2017, a total of 3,363 cases of hepatitis B were registered, including 29 cases of HBV and HCV co-infections. The number of acute hepatitis B cases was 56, accounting for 1.7% of all hepatitis B cases. The incidence of acute hepatitis B was 0.15 per 100,000 population. In comparison with 2016 there was a slight increase the incidence of acute hepatitis B (In 2016, incidence was 0.13 per 100,000 population and the number of acute hepatitis B was 50). 887 cases of chronic and 2420 of uknown stage hepatitis B were registered (26.4% and 71.9%, respectively) The incidence of chronic or UNK stages was lower by almost 12% than in previous year. As in previous years, incidence varied a lot at level of voivodeships. The highest incidence was recorded in Pomorskie voivodeship (15 per 100,000). Acute, chronic and unknown stage (UNK) hepatitis B were more often detected in men and in urban residents. In most of HBV cases the probable route of transmission were still medical procedures. In 2017, HBV vaccination coverage in children with the third HBV vaccine dose for the first time in many years decreased below the required 95% in the elimination strategy. Compared to the previous year a similar number of cases of acute hepatitis B was registered. The good epidemiological situation in the area of acute hepatitis B is mainly the result of effective vaccinations of newborns, however, there has been observed a systematic decline in children’s vaccination coverage for several years. Slight annual fluctuations in the number of chronic and UNK cases detected may be related to the number of tests performed in a given year.