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@#Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) are viral infections which can cause acute and chronic hepatitis and are the leading causes for hepatic cirrhosis and cancer, thus creating a significant burden to healthcare systems due to the high morbidity/mortality and costs of treatment. The risk of HBV infection in an unvaccinated person from a single HBV-infected needle stick injury ranges from 6–30. The prevention of HBV infection among HCWs has become a crucial issue. HBV can effectively be prevented by vaccination. A safe and effective HBV vaccine has been available since the 1980s and can prevent acute and chronic infection with an estimated effectivity of 95%. In 2017, the São Paulo Declaration on Hepatitis was launched at the World Hepatitis Summit 2017, calling upon governments to include hepatitis B vaccines for HCWs in national immunization programs. The vaccine is 95% effective in preventing infection and its chronic consequences and has an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness. Data on current hepatitis B vaccine coverage among HCWs in Mongolia is scarce. According to Azzaya et al, the protection level of the subjects was 67.2% >100 mIU/ml, 18.8%, 11-100 mIU/mL and 14.1%, 0-10 mIU/mL based on antibody titer level respectively among the vaccinated HCWs at the 2nd Central hospital. Thus, the HBV vaccination among public and private sector HCWs in Mongolia to inform the health authorities about the HCWs HBV vaccination status along with associated problems and challenges for further improving vaccination strategy among HCWs.
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Mongolia is known for its high endemicity for viral hepatitis. Previous studies report that the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is 11.8% (178/1,512) among the unvaccinated population in 13 provinces and Ulaanbaatar city. The serosurvey of adults (>20 years of age) conducted during 2013 among persons in four provinces and in Ulaanbaatar showed that the overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity was 10.6%. The overall prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCV ribonucleic acid among 1,512 apparently healthy subjects was 15.6% (236/1,512) and 11.0% (167/1,512) respectively. In a previous study, we reported on the prevalence of HBV, HDV, and HCV infections in 110 consecutive patients presenting with acute hepatitis at eight city hospitals in Ulaanbaatar. In that study, 16.4, 32.7, 6.4, 1.8, and 27.3% of the patients were diagnosed as having acute hepatitis due to hepatitis A, B, C, HBV/HDV coinfection, and superinfection respectively. In the current study (2012-2014), results show that acute hepatitis A, B, C, and D was diagnosed in 47.9, 40.7, 5.3, and 9% respectively. Chronic HBV and HCV infections, which are associated with cancer and cirrhosis respectively, are responsible for 95% of liver cancers in Mongolia. The most common etiology for hepatocellular carcinoma was HCV infection (n = 89, 45.6%), followed by HBV infection (n = 67, 34.4%). How to cite this article: Baatarkhuu O, Uugantsetseg G, Munkh-Orshikh D, Naranzul N, Badamjav S, Tserendagva D, Amarsanaa J, Young KD. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases in Mongolia. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):68-72.