Hepatitis B virus eradication strategy for Asia. The Asian Regional Study Group.

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae vary widely in the different populations living in the Asian-Pacific region. Horizontal transmission plays an important role in the spread of the disease; in East Asia, however, maternal transmission is particularly significant since a high portion of infected infants become chronic carriers and develop cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma later in life. Cost-benefit studies performed in Taipei and Shanghai show that hepatitis B vaccination is cost-effective. The three main strategies for HBV eradication include universal immunization or active plus passive immunization in areas of high endemicity, and selective vaccination of high-risk groups where carriage of the surface antigen is low.