Global Perspectives on the Hepatitis B Vaccination: Challenges, Achievements, and the Road to Elimination by 2030

Abstract

Annually, more than 1.5 million preventable new hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur, with an estimated global burden of 296 million individuals living with chronic hepatitis B infection. This substantial health challenge results in over 820,000 annual deaths being attributed to complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV vaccination remains the cornerstone of public health policy to prevent chronic hepatitis B and its related complications. It serves as a crucial element in the global effort to eliminate HBV, as established by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an ambitious 90% vaccination target by 2030. However, reports on global birth dose coverage reveal substantial variability, with an overall coverage rate of only 46%. This comprehensive review thoroughly examines global trends in HBV vaccination coverage, investigating the profound impact of vaccination on HBV prevalence and its consequences across diverse populations, including both high-risk and general demographics. Additionally, the review addresses the essential formidable challenges and facilitating factors for achieving WHO’s HBV vaccination coverage objectives and elimination strategies in the coming decade and beyond.

Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Pregnant Women at Jiblah University Hospital in Jiblah City, Yemen

“…According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HBV Complications rank as the seventh-highest cause of global mortality and named as "silent killer" 4 . Globally, among individuals with cirrhosis, 42% had HBV infection 5 and 29% of cirrhosis-related deaths 6 . Chronic HBV infection is the leading cause in approximately 50-80% of the cases of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC), making it the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths 7 .…”