Hepatitis B Control
Overview
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. It causes both acute and chronic disease that can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. It is a major global health problem: it is estimated that approximately 39 million persons in the South-East Asia Region are currently living with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, resulting in an estimated 300,000 deaths annually due to the virus.
Hepatitis B virus is highly contagious and is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. Newborn infants and children are at the highest risk of developing chronic infection. People with chronic hepatitis are often completely unaware of the infection until later in life, when progressive liver fibrosis begins.
Hepatitis B is preventable with safe and effective vaccines.