Maldives and Sri Lanka have managed to contain the hepatitis B virus, the spread of which is now under control in both countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today following checks carried out by a group of experts from the organisation.

In both countries, vaccination coverage against the virus is high and the prevalence of the disease is low, as confirmed by a series of serological analyzes carried out recently.

“I congratulate and praise her Maldives and Sri Lanka for their achievement, which once again demonstrates the efforts made by leaders and officials, health workers and people in those countries towards the health and well-being of communities,” commented Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Director-General for Southeast Asia.

The Expert Panel for Verification of Hepatitis B Control in WHO South-East Asia Region reviewed childhood immunization data from Maldives and Sri Lanka that showed consistent over 90% coverage with Hepatitis B vaccine doses provided during infancy for past many years. The experts also reviewed the findings of national surveys conducted among children in 2022-2023, in these countries.

“Based on the evidence presented to it, the Expert Panel concluded that the standards required for verification of Hepatitis B control have been met in both these countries and hence recommended that this important public health target has been achieved in Maldives and Sri Lanka”, said Dr Supamit Chunsuttiwat, chairperson of the Regional Expert Panel for verification of Hepatitis B control in South-East Asia.

The two countries join Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand, who achieved the same feat in 2019.

Preventing Hepatitis B infection in infancy substantially reduces chronic infections and cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis in adulthood.

Hepatitis control continues to be an important public health initiative in the South-East Asia Region of WHO that comprises of 11 countries and is home to a quarter of the world’s population. The Region has an estimated 60 million people living with chronic hepatitis B and 218,000 dying every year of hepatitis B and C. Of the persons eligible for antiviral treatment only about 10% know their status and less than 5% of them are on treatment.