In Malaysia, hepatitis B-related deaths have increased over the years, with 9.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.
Hepatitis B and C are the leading causes of liver cancer, which is one of the five most common cancers diagnosed locally.
Many hepatitis infections remain silent, and liver health awareness is very low in our country.
Even when hepatitis is diagnosed, the number of people who receive treatment is low.
This could be due to lack of awareness of the catastrophic complications of viral hepatitis and the public's stigmatisation of people living with hepatitis.
Most importantly, accessibility to treatment remains limited and centralised, and many people face out-of-pocket expenses for viral hepatitis services.
For those receiving free hepatitis treatment in government facilities, they may have to wait a long time for their first gastroenterology clinic appointment.
Decentralising access to rapid testing for everyone and making treatment available at primary care level will help.
Simplifying treatment criteria for hepatitis B and C, strengthening healthcare infrastructure with more diagnostic testing, training healthcare workers so that many more can treat hepatitis, and ensuring adequate resources are vital.
In Malaysia, universal hepatitis B vaccination of newborn infants has been implemented since 1989.
Hepatitis B vaccinations for adults born before 1989 should be offered at a very low cost.
Public health campaigns are crucial to increasing awareness about this silent killer.
Social platforms, schools, workplaces and community organisations can play roles in disseminating information about hepatitis transmission, prevention, and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Regular screening is essential for high-risk groups.
They include infants born to infected mothers, sexual partners of individuals with hepatitis, people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), blood transfusion recipients, those who inject drugs, individuals with multiple sexual partners, healthcare workers, and men who have sex with men.
Initiatives to reduce the stigma associated with hepatitis are needed, as fear and misunderstanding often deter people
from seeking diagnosis and treatment.
The high cost of antiviral medications, particularly the newer antivirals for hepatitis C, poses a financial barrier to treatment for many patients worldwide.
Nevertheless, in Malaysia, strategies involving the navigation of international drug patent laws and collaboration between non-profit organisations and local pharmaceutical manufacturers have made treatment more affordable, making us an exemplary model for other low- and middle-income countries.
Acknowledging the challenges that remain, the global community has rallied under the powerful call to action, "Integrate, Accelerate, Eliminate", for this year's World Hepatitis Day.
Increasing awareness, improving access to early diagnosis, and ensuring that more people receive vaccines and treatments are essential in continuing to reduce the burden of viral hepatitis worldwide.
DR LIM SU YIN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR YAU WENG KEONG
School of Medicine
Taylor's University
DR NOOR ALIZA ABD MUTALIB
Consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist
Salam Shah Alam Specialist Hospital
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times