APASL clinical practice guidelines on the management of chronic hepatitis B infection: a 2026 update.
Journal
Hepatology international
ISSN
1936-0541
Date Issued
2026-06-27
Author(s)
You, Hong
Maiwall, Rakhi
Chen, Jing
Ahn, Sang Hoon
Dokmeci, Kadir
Dou, Xiaoguang
El-Sayed, Manal
Fan, Jian-Gao
Gani, Rino
Gao, Zhiliang
George, Jacob
Ghazinian, Hasmik
Goh, George
Hamid, Saeed
Hou, Jinlin
Huang, Shang-Chin
Ji, Dong
Jia, Jidong
Kanda, Tatsuo
Kim, Yoon Jun
Lesmana, Cosmas Rinaldi A
Mohamed, Rosmawati
Ning, Qin
Ormeci, Necati
Otsuka, Motoyuki
Payawal, Diana
Thuy, Pham Thanh
Sailey, Keo
Sharma, Manoj Kumar
Sollano, Jose D
Sun, Jian
Tanwandee, Tawesak
Thompson, Alexander
Wang, Fu-Sheng
Wang, Guiqiang
Wei, Lai
Wong, Grace Lai Hung
Wong, Vincent Wai Sun
Yeoh, Eng Kiong
Yip, Terry Cheuk-Fung
Yu, Ming-Lung
Zhang, Wenhong
Zhuang, Hui
Lai, Ching-Lung
Omata, Masao
Sarin, Shiv Kumar
Lau, George
Abstract
Globally, especially in the Asia Pacific region, chronic hepatitis B infection has led to an undesirable escalating morbidity and mortality with acute-on chronic liver failure, end-staged liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This has happened despite the past four decades of major scientific advances made in screening methods, vaccination strategies, highly effective low-cost anti-viral therapies, and surveillance strategies for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. To address this health threat, APASL has formed a Viral Elimination Taskforce to unite key opinion leaders from its member countries and regions. The ongoing shifts in hepatitis B epidemiology, socioeconomic changes, and advancements in technology are taken into consideration. With the conjoint efforts of all the members of the APASL Viral Elimination Taskforce, these clinical practice guidelines have been formulated aiming to facilitate healthcare professionals, policy-makers, and patients in making practical and cost-effective management decisions for chronic hepatitis B infection. Altogether, it provides recommendations in 13 major areas related to screening, vaccination, treatment, and HCC surveillance. The implementation of these clinical practice guidelines represents major APASL effort toward elimination of the disease burden due to chronic hepatitis B infection in Asia Pacific region.
Subjects
Chronic hepatitis B
Guideline
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Prevention
Treat all
Treatment
Type
editorial