The case for universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccine in SA

For years, concerned health experts have been calling for South African children to be universally vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth: now, echoing that plea in The Lancet , Mariet Benade and Allison Portnoy urge policy-makers to accelerate the implementation, saying it would be a crucial, and economically viable step towards the ultimate goal of eliminating the disease.

In 2016, the WHO outlined targets to eliminate viral hepatitis, aiming for a 90% reduction in incident cases and 65% reduction in mortality by 2030 . Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 60% of the global burden of viral hepatitis.

Vaccination has been a key strategy in achieving the set targets, with the WHO recommending administration of a hepatitis B birth dose (HepB-BD) to all newborns within 24 hours of birth to prevent mother-to-child transmission, given that mother-to-child transmission is the predominant route of infection in settings with sustained transmission.