The fight against hepatitis B

In Thailand, chronic hepatitis B is the most significant factor leading to liver cancer. Up to 75 per cent of Thais with liver cancer had previously had chronic hepatitis B.

The hepatitis B virus is the most commonly transmitted virus in the world. Two billion people have contracted this virus at one point in their lives, which means that one out of three have once had hepatitis B. More importantly, 350 million to 400 million people develop chronic hepatitis B.

Between 6 and 12 per cent of Thais over 40 develop chronic hepatitis B. After the launch of a campaign to promote the anti-hepatitis B vaccination of new-born infants in 1992, the rate of infection fell to 4 to 6 per cent, or four million Thais.


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