Iran sees decline in hepatitis B after widespread vaccination
The acting head of the Iranian Center for Communicable Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education announced a significant decline in the prevalence of hepatitis B in Iran, thanks to the country’s vaccination efforts.
Ghobad Moradi stated that prior to the vaccination program, the prevalence of hepatitis B was over 2.5%, but with the vaccination of all individuals under 37 years old, the prevalence of the disease has dropped to nearly 1% across the entire population, ISNA reported.
Moradi pointed out that the National Hepatitis Prevention Week, observed from October 22 to 28, aims to prevent the disease by promoting public awareness and strengthening preventive programs, screening, and control of viral hepatitis.
He emphasized that viral hepatitis is one of the major public health problems worldwide, with millions of people contracting the disease every year, leading to severe consequences, including death.
According to Moradi, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been focusing on hepatitis B and C in recent years, encouraging governments to step up efforts to combat the diseases.
He noted that the most effective intervention in controlling hepatitis B is vaccination, which has been successful in Iran, allowing the country to be listed among those that have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HBV.
Regarding hepatitis C, Moradi stated that the prevalence of the disease in Iran is estimated to be around 0.1% to 0.3%, with the highest prevalence found among high-risk groups such as injecting drug users and individuals with high-risk behaviors.
Although there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, Moradi emphasized that new and effective treatments have made it possible to control the disease, and Iran can work towards eliminating hepatitis C in the near future by expanding access to treatment.