hepatitis B

WHO Issues First Hepatitis B Guideline

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first guidelines for chronic hepatitis B treatment, prevention, and care.

The purpose of these guidelines is to “provide a framework for the development or strengthening of hepatits B treatment programmes in low- and middle-income countries,” and include information on treatment, assessment, monitoring, and general care.  
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“Deciding who needs treatment for hepatitis B depends on a number of factors,” said Stefan Wiktor, MD, the lead of WHO’s Global Hepatitis Program.

“These new guidelines, which give treatment recommendations that rely on simple, inexpensive tests, will help clinicians make the right decisions,” he said.

The key recommendations of the guidelines include:

  • Non-invasive test to determine the stage of liver disease and help identify who needs treatment;
  • For those with cirrhosis (the advanced stage of liver disease), healthcare providers should prioritize treatment;
  • Simple tests (to regularly monitor) for early detection of liver cancer to determine if the treatment is working and if treatment should be stopped;
  • The use of tenofovir or entecavir (safe and highly effective medications) to treat chronic hepatitis B.

The authors of the guidelines noted that while treatment can extend life for people who are already infected with hepatitis B, it is extremely important to focus on the prevention of new infections.

They also recommended that children be vaccinated against hepatitis B, with their first dose administered at birth.

The complete guidelines are published on the World Health Organization’s website.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:

World Health Organization. WHO issues its first hepatitis B treatment guidelines. March 12, 2015. www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/hepatitis-b-guideline/en/. Accessed March 13, 2015.