Hepatitis B control through immunization : a reference guide

Overview

The  Western Pacific Region,  despite being home to approximately 28% of the global population,  bears  a disproportionate  burden  of HBV-related mortality  and morbidity, accounting for almost half of all chronic hepatitis B infections worldwide. With an estimated 160 million chronic HBV carriers living in the Region,  hepatitis B is responsible for nearly 900 deaths per day,  a mortality rate comparable to that of tuberculosis. Most countries had a chronic HBV infection rate of more than 10% before the introduction of vaccination. Of the 325 000 estimated annual deaths caused by HBV infection in the Region,  nearly all were consequences of chronic infection,  mostly decades after the initial infection at birth or in early childhood. Hepatitis B, therefore, is an important regional public health priority.