Recent reports revealed by World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that a majority of the states in Western Pacific have been able to accomplish a major challenge of reducing hepatitis B infection rates in children. It has been recovered that the infection rates have been reduced to as less as 2%.

Hepatitis B is one the major cause behind the occurrence of liver infection around the globe, due to which many lives are even lost. In the Western Pacific areas alone, each year 160 million cases of hepatitis B are administered, which accounts for half of the total number of cases reported across the world.

However, UN World Health Organization considered it as the first region out of the other six to tackle the problem and decline the infection rates via vaccination programme.

WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Shin Young-soo, asserted that this is a big achievement for the organization. Till date several millions of people in the regions had been affected by Hepatitis B and C, yet there were no vaccinations.

"Given the high endemicity of hepatitis viruses in the Region—especially hepatitis B and C—we need to deliver focused, concerted actions, including prevention, screening and treatment of those already infected," Dr Shin said.