Govt to introduce Hepatitis B screening initiative to target high-risk groups

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau stated that the government will prioritize the protection of high-risk groups for hepatitis B by implementing screening measures and partnering with local clinics and family doctors, with more details set to be announced shortly.

This comes after a community pharmacy program and a risk-based cancer screening initiative were introduced in the latest policy address. 

Lo emphasized that about 410,000 individuals still carry the hepatitis B virus, with 40 percent unaware of their status. 

He noted that while only 0.3 percent of those under 35 are carriers, the rate rises to 8.4 percent among those aged 35 to 54, indicating a need for further attention.

Since the 1980s, the government has implemented measures such as screening pregnant women, vaccinating newborns, and offering antiviral treatment, reducing the percentage of hepatitis B carriers from over 10 percent to 5.6 percent by 2022.