Asia has some of the highest rates of Hepatitis B infection in the world, with a prevalence between 5% and 15% in countries such as China, Taiwan, and Mongolia and home to more than 154 million infections in 2015. More so, immigrant and refugee communities in this region are at an increased risk for acquiring Hepatitis B, with little access to healthcare and preventative methods. The Tibetan community in exile, for example, is believed to have a high endemicity of chronic hepatitis B. A recent assessment carried out by the Central Tibetan Authority and the Johns Hopkins University found a prevalence of 11.9% in Tibetan refugees in exile, a rate considered highly endemic by the World Health Organization. As a community in exile, Tibetan refugees may be missed by Hepatitis B control interventions and lack access to centralized medical care.
CDA Foundation (CDAF), in collaboration with the Central Tibetan Authority (CTA), aimed to determine the current and future prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection and identify the future public health impact of the disease. Working with representatives from the Public Health Department of the CTA since February 2017, we estimated the current cascade of care for Tibetan refugees in India and identified potential treatment programs that would help link current patients to care. As a result of this work, CDAF will provide funding for 2018 and 2019 to help treat HBV patients currently under supervision of the CTA in India. Additionally, CDAF will continue its collaboration with the CTA by providing feedback and support as the Central Tibetan Authority develops its first screening and treatment guidelines for Hepatitis B and C.
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