Peer-reviewed article
ALEH position statement on the management of hepatitis B virus infection 2025.
Mario Guimarães Pessoa, Nelia Hernandez, Graciela Castro Narro, Angelo A Mattos, Marcelo Silva et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a clinical position statement from the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver on managing hepatitis B virus infection in adults. It provides regional guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination in Latin America. The document does not focus on children's well-being as a primary subject.
Key points
Limitations
While the document mentions neonatal vaccination and mother-to-child transmission prevention, it is primarily a clinical guideline for adult hepatitis B management and does not evaluate interventions or outcomes specific to child health and well-being.
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, with substantial public health implications in Latin America. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, HBV continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated across the region, where healthcare access is often limited and heterogeneous. In alignment with the World Health Organization's 2024 strategy for HBV elimination, the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver (ALEH) presents updated regional guidelines to simplify diagnosis, expand treatment eligibility, and improve vaccination coverage. The recommendations emphasize the use of rapid diagnostic tests and reflex HBV DNA testing to overcome barriers to laboratory access, while promoting non-invasive methods to assess liver disease severity. Expanded treatment criteria include patients with significant fibrosis, elevated HBV DNA levels, co-infections, and other risk factors, ensuring broader access to antiviral therapy with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), or entecavir (ETV). Preventing mother-to-child transmission through universal screening, maternal prophylaxis, and timely neonatal vaccination is prioritized. Additionally, universal HDV testing in HBV-infected patients is recommended. These guidelines highlight the urgent need for decentralization, simplification, and equity in HBV management to achieve elimination goals in Latin America by 2030.