Every day pregnant women living with hepatitis B undiagnosed unknowingly pass on hepatitis B to their babies, putting their child at higher risk of liver cancer. Without preventive measures, 90% of babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers develop a chronic hepatitis B infection.
Ending mother-to-child transmission is key to hepatitis elimination, and we can achieve it if we test all pregnant women for hepatitis B, link them to care and vaccinate their babies against hepatitis B. The hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective and affordable. Despite this, only 48% of countries deliver the birth dose vaccine to newborns.
Our ask is simple:
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 257 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B infection worldwide and 900 000 people die every year as a consequence of the virus. A large majority of people who die as a consequence of the virus contracted the virus before the age of five. People who contract the virus in early childhood have an 80-90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B infection, as opposed to 5% in otherwise healthy adults who contract the virus.
Elimination of hepatitis B requires a 90% reduction of new infections and without addressing the mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, the main route for hepatitis B transmission, elimination will stay out of reach. WHO recommends that all expectant mothers get tested and linked to care, and all babies to receive a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, followed by two or three doses to complete the primary series.
NOhep moms poster
Are you a parent living with viral hepatitis or a NOhep supporter looking to join our campaign? Use this tool to create your own NOhep Moms poster and join our campaign!
You can choose your own messaging, image, and even upload your organisation logo. Our handy translation tool will help you translate your poster to over a 100 languages!
Make your own poster:
NOhep Moms poster
Moms Fighting Hepatitis selfie poster
Dads Fighting Hepatitis selfie poster
NOhep Moms supporter selfie poster
NOhep Moms webinar
Join us for our 2021 NOhep Moms webinar and learn more about the importance of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of hepatitis B.
Learn more from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the latest guidelines and hear from mothers living with hepatitis B on what PMTCT means to them and their families.
Hepatitis B in pregnancy
The WHO recommends, when possible, taking the steps below to adequately care for expectant mothers and protect their babies.
Help us guide women through hepatitis B in pregnancy by sharing the prevention of mother-to-child transmission flyer.
You can also make one in your local language using the translate function of our poster tool.
Share your story
If you or someone you know have been affected by viral hepatitis, or have a child who has received the hepatitis B birth dose and are willing to share your story and tell the world what the prevention of mother-to-child transmission means to you then please get in touch so we can share your story.
You can contact us at connect@nohep.org.