Treatment of chronic HBV infection in developing countries

Abstract

Due to virological, host and socio-economic factors, the clinical presentation and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) differs between developing and developed countries and may differ between one low-income country and another. National healthcare prevention and treatment policies, environmental factors, social habits and personal life-styles all influence HBV transmission and the clinical management and therapy of CHB. These factors can have a strong impact on the natural history of the disease and on access to treatment and may eventually determine substantial changes in disease progression and the development of serious complications and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review article, we analyze the clinical characteristics and access to antiviral treatment of CHB patients in low-income countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Keywords

• Chronic hepatitis B
• Asia
• Africa
• Eastern Europe
• Latin America