In a momentous health achievement, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand emerged victorious in controlling Hepatitis B, setting an example for the World Health Organization’s Southeast Asia region. This feat was achieved when the disease prevalence was cut down to less than 1% among children under five years old, which is recognized as the control benchmark for Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B: A Chronic Threat
Hepatitis B, if contracted at an early age, becomes a chronic ailment, precipitating over 100,000 premature deaths each year from conditions like liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Despite the integration of the Hepatitis B vaccine into the Universal Immunisation Programme in 2002 and its widespread rollout in 2011, around 1 million people in India become chronically infected with the virus annually. The high prevalence among children aged less than five years has remained above 1% due to insufficient coverage of the birth dose to all infants within 24 hours of birth.
The Role of the Birth Dose in Prevention
The Hepatitis B birth dose, administered in the first 24 hours of a child’s life, plays a critical role in preventing vertical transmission from mother to child. Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B is responsible for 70-90% of newborns getting infected and 20-30% becoming carriers in India. While the Health Ministry approved the birth dose in 2008, its coverage has remained low, standing at 45% in 2015 and only slightly increasing to 60% in 2016, according to a 2019 Health Ministry report.
Challenges to Coverage: Wastage Fears and Unawareness
Several reasons contribute to the low coverage of the Hepatitis B vaccine. One of the main obstacles is the fear of vaccine wastage when using a 10-dose vial. Additionally, health-care workers may not be aware of the WHO recommendation allowing the Hepatitis B Open-Vial Policy, which holds that vaccines can be kept for use in other children for a maximum of 28 days if the vaccine meets certain conditions.
| Type of Transmission | Percentage of Newborns Infected | Percentage of Carriers |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B | 70-90% | 20-30% |
Hepatitis B: An Overview
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that primarily targets the liver, resulting in acute and chronic diseases. The most common transmission routes are from mother to child during birth and contact with blood or other body fluids. Hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver cancer but can be effectively prevented through safe and available vaccines.
World Hepatitis Day & Global Awareness
Every year, World Hepatitis Day is commemorated on July 28th. Hepatitis B is one of the four epidemic diseases—alongside HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria—that have disease-specific global awareness days officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).