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WHO releases guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis B infection

March 2015

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. These guidelines complement similar recently published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of infection due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

These recommendations:

  • Promote the use of simple, non-invasive diagnostic tests to assess the stage of liver disease and eligibility for treatment 
  • Prioritize treatment for those with most advanced liver disease and at greatest risk of mortality
  • Recommend the preferred use of nucleos(t)ide analogues with a high barrier to drug resistance (tenofovir and entecavir, and entecavir in children aged 2–11 years) for first- and second-line treatment. 

Recommendations for the treatment of HBV/HIV-coinfected persons are based on the WHO 2013 Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection, which will be updated in 2015.

Read the recommendations here.