Chronic hepatitis B treatment: Where are we now?

In the Asia Pacific region, the majority of hepatitis B infections are acquired perinatally (period immediately before and after birth) or in early childhood.

Compulsory HBV vaccination has been instituted in Malaysia since 1989. Nevertheless, hepatitis B remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality.

Chronic hepatitis B is a worldwide phenomenon, and two billion people (approximately one-third of the world’s population) have been infected.