The Hong Kong Government has announced the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025–2030, which will further implement a series of strategies and initiatives for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis, including the launch of a risk-based pilot programme for hepatitis B screening.
The Action Plan aims to reduce the transmission of viral hepatitis and lower the morbidity and mortality rates, especially the number of new cases and deaths from liver cancer caused by viral hepatitis. It also seeks to achieve the global target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of eliminating the public health threat posed by viral hepatitis by 2030 or earlier.
Over the past five years, the Government has fully implemented the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2020–2024. This included providing antiviral treatment for pregnant women with high hepatitis B virus loads, as well as conducting post-vaccination serological testing for infants at high risk. In 2024, only 0.2% of children in Hong Kong were infected with the hepatitis B virus by their hepatitis B-positive mothers, a significant drop from the approximately 1% mother-to-child transmission rate recorded before these measures were put in place.
After reviewing the effectiveness of the 2020–2024 Action Plan and the latest international developments, the Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis has clearly defined the key initiatives to be implemented in the next five years. In addition to the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, the Primary Healthcare Authority and more relevant organisations will participate in the Plan to achieve more comprehensive coverage and stronger synergy.
According to estimates, around 410,000 people in Hong Kong are living with hepatitis B. Among them, 40% are unaware that they have chronic hepatitis B, and 70% are not receiving appropriate follow-up treatment. The Action Plan will strengthen the prevention and control of viral hepatitis through four core strategies: raising public awareness, enhancing case detection and management, preventing infections, and expanding diagnosis and treatment services.
The Primary Healthcare Authority will launch a Chronic Disease Co-management Platform. In addition to covering hypertension, hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia, the platform will pilot a risk-based hepatitis B screening and management programme. The target group includes Hong Kong residents born in 1988 or earlier, whose family members or sexual partners are chronic hepatitis B patients, and who themselves have not been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and show no related symptoms.
Participants diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B will be eligible for subsidised consultations, subsidised drug treatment, liver ultrasound services, and regular liver cancer monitoring. The Primary Healthcare Authority will announce further implementation details and launch the relevant services early next year.
