Viral hepatitis is a major public health problem worldwide causing liver diseases and death. Globally, it is estimated that more than half of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, are caused by viral hepatitis. In China more than 90 million people have hepatitis B that is often asymptomatic but can later develop into cirrhosis or liver cancer. Hepatitis B has imposed a heavy financial burden to patients, families, and Chinese society.
This year the global theme of the campaign is: "This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it" since the danger and extent of hepatitis as a threat to public health is largely being ignored in the world, and more needs to be done to stop this "silent epidemic."
The WHO Western Pacific Region celebrates World Hepatitis Day 2013 with the slogan: "Preventing chronic hepatitis B and associated liver cancer begins at birth," aiming at reducing the number of children infected with hepatitis B including those infants born to infected mothers.
Hepatitis B is a preventable disease. Prevention starts at birth, with an effective and safe vaccine. The virus can easily pass to newborn infants after exposure to maternal blood during childbirth. The vaccine can prevent infection even after exposure to the virus, but the baby needs to be vaccinated in a timely way within 24 hours of birth, followed by two more doses at 1 and 6 months of age. Vaccination provides lifelong protection.
For World Hepatitis Day 2013, WHO has published a "Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in WHO Member States". As highlighted in this report, China has taken appropriate policy decision to control viral hepatitis B through universal hepatitis B vaccination of all infants. Implementation of this policy reduced the rate of chronic hepatitis B infection among children less than 5 years of age from almost 10% in the pre-vaccine era to less than 1% now.
In 2012, China was officially recognized by WHO Regional Director, Dr Shin Young-soo , for having exceeded the regional hepatitis B control goal for reduction of chronic hepatitis B infection among young children.
Since a significant proportion of adults born before 2000 have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B, a large number of Chinese adults are chronically infected. The high (6.7%) prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in women of child bearing age in the 2006 serological survey and the high risk of developing chronic hepatitis B when infected at birth reaffirmed the need to further strengthen the programme for the prevention of HBV perinatal transmission.
Since 2011 China has an integrated program to detect HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in pregnant women and prevent the transmission of these diseases from mothers to their baby. In priority counties free HBV screening is available for pregnant women as well as free hepatitis B immune globulin for infants born to mothers who have chronic hepatitis B infection. The hepatitis B vaccine is given to all babies with a first dose within the 24 first hours after birth. These comprehensive measures can prevent the transmission of HBV to infants and children. The expansion of these measures will ensure a viral hepatitis B free Chinese population in the future.
However it will require several decades after the initiation of the hepatitis B universal vaccination programme to realize a decline in cirrhosis and liver cancer related to viral hepatitis B in China. Therefore access to quality affordable antiviral treatment should be improved for Chinese adults suffering of chronic active viral hepatitis infection.
"WHO congratulates China for its outstanding achievement in newborn and child hepatitis B immunization. We hope that WHO and China can continue cooperation to formulate the next steps in comprehensive hepatitis B prevention and control: the vaccination of adults at risk, and improved access to affordable antiviral treatment for those in need," said Dr Michael O'Leary, WHO Representative in China.
World Hepatitis Day 2013 poster
