| The World Health Organization has set targets for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. These targets include reducing new hepatitis B and C infections, increasing access to testing, treatment and prevention. In Japan, there are many chances to have infection screening tests carried out prior to operation or blood transfusion in routine. Some of hepatitis virus carriers who are detected by screening tests, have not been given adequate information. To develop an effective regional network for hepatitis treatment and close the gap in the care cascade, we attempt to organize referral system which is composed of the core center, its affiliated hospitals and community clinics. To reduce the HBV-related mortality, it is necessary to aim for functional cure through efficient prevention strategies of HBV infection and development of new therapeutic drugs. The international guidelines showed that anti-HBV prophylaxis is recommended for pregnant women with high viral loads to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV. However, >95% of HBV-infected individuals live in countries where HBV DNA quantification is not available. Based on this situation, we show the clinical application of a rapid HBcrAg assay as POCT. Recently, many novel agents targeting HBV RNA such as RNA inhibitors or destabilizers have been actively developed. The multiple-drug combination therapies with NA and PEG-IFN are currently under development, to find the best combination of each drug will be important in therapeutic development. |
