A 2024 global report on national policy, programmes, and progress towards hepatitis B elimination: findings from 33 hepatitis elimination profiles

Abstract

The Coaltion for Global Hepatitis Elimination's National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles assess the status of national data, policy, and programme development the elimination of viral hepatitis. Profiles from 33 countries and territories show progress, towards elimination of hepatitis B with 24 (73%) of them meeting the 2025 WHO interim target of 0·5% or less HBsAg prevalence in children younger than 5 years. 22 (67%) of countries and territories profiled have policies for universal hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination of newborns. Access to hepatitis B testing and treatment, including removing HBsAg screening and hepatitis B treatment patient co-payments and simplifying treatment algorithms, remains suboptimal, especially in low-income and middle-income countries and territories. Of the seven profiled countries and territories meeting the 60% WHO 2025 diagnosis coverage target, all but one (Rwanda) is a high-income country or territory. No country or territory has met the WHO 2025 treatment target of at least 50% of people living with hepatitis B receiving treatment. The profiles guide national planning and identify priorities for resource mobilisation to further accelerate hepatitis B elimination.

Figure 1:. Map of countries and territories with National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles

African region: Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa. Region of the Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the USA. Eastern Mediterranean region: Egypt and Pakistan. European region: England, Georgia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine. South-East Asia region: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Western Pacific region: Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Viet Nam.

Figure 2:. Hepatitis B policy scores

(A) Hepatitis B mean policy scores across country and territory income classifications. (B) Mean total hepatitis B policy scores by country income classification. (C) Country and territory hepatitis B policy scores, by income classification. HBV=hepatitis B virus. *Three policies. †Five policies. ‡Two policies. §Four policies. ¶One policy.