WHO Issues 1st Ever Treatment Guidelines For Hepatitis B

         

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued its first-ever guidance for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, a viral infection which is spread through blood and body fluids, attacking the liver and resulting in an estimated 650 000 deaths each year, People with chronic hepatitis B infection are at increased risk of dying from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The Leader of the WHO Global Hepatitis program, Stefan Wiktor, said that deciding who needs treatment for hepatitis B depends on a number of factors and that more than 240 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis B virus, with the highest rates of infection in Africa and Asia.

``People with the infection are at increased risk of dying from cirrhosis and liver cancer”, he said.

The "WHO guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons living with chronic hepatitis B infection" lay out a simplified approach to the care of people living with chronic hepatitis B, particularly in settings with limited resources.
 
The guidance covers the full spectrum of care from determining who needs treatment, to what medicines to use, and how to monitor people long-term.
The special needs of specific populations, such as people co-infected with HIV, as well as children and adolescents, and pregnant women are also considered.
The two recommended medicines are already available in many countries as generics, and thus are relatively inexpensive, costing as little as US$ 5 per person per month. “Because for so many people treatment is life-long it is important that patients can access these medicines at the lowest possible price” says Dr. Wiktor.

 “The guidelines recommend the use of a few simple non-invasive tests to assess the stage of liver disease to help identify who needs treatment,’’ he said.

WHO