ABAC News And Updates - African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition

Welcome to our ABAC News and Updates page, where you can stay informed about the latest developments, features, and enhancements from our team. Check back regularly for updates!

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ABAC Calls for Global Action Against Unethical Hepatitis B Birth Dose Study in Guinea-Bissau

October 20, 2026

The African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition (ABAC), Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and other partners are calling on global health organizations, researchers, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and community leaders to join a collective effort opposing a proposed hepatitis B birth dose vaccine study in Guinea-Bissau.

The proposed study, supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has raised serious ethical and public health concerns regarding the potential withholding of a proven, lifesaving vaccine from newborns in a country with one of the highest hepatitis B burdens in the world.

Approximately 12% of adults in Guinea-Bissau are estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B. Without timely vaccination, infants exposed to hepatitis B face a substantial risk of developing chronic infection, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and premature death.

The evidence is clear: the hepatitis B birth dose saves lives. Decades of research have demonstrated that administering the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth is a safe and effective intervention to prevent mother-to-child transmission and protect children from lifelong infection.

Recent modeling further highlights the consequences of delaying implementation in Guinea-Bissau. Achieving 90% timely birth dose and three-dose vaccination coverage beginning in 2027 could prevent approximately 58,300 acute and 20,300 chronic hepatitis B infections through 2050. Delaying implementation by just one year could result in an additional 4,500 acute and 1,500 chronic infections.

At a time when countries across Africa are working to expand hepatitis B birth dose coverage and accelerate elimination efforts, research must support equitable access to proven prevention strategies rather than delay their implementation.

Add Your Voice: Sign the Global Advocacy Letter

We invite organizations, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and individuals around the world to add their names to this important call to action.

[SIGN THE LETTER HERE]

[READ THE LETTER HERE]

Together, we can ensure that scientific research advances health equity, protects vulnerable populations, and supports the global goal of eliminating hepatitis B as a public health threat.

For questions or additional information, please contact the African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition at Catherine.Freeland@hepb.org

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African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition referenced in CIDRAP in statement denouncing the Unethical Hepatitis B birth dose Study in Guinea-Bissau.

October 15, 2026 | A vaccine injury initiative, a contested hepatitis B trial, and edited CDC COVID-19 vaccine guidance: The State of US Vaccine Policy. Written by: Izzy Brandstetter Figueroa, PhD, MPH, Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD, MPH, Jess Steier, DrPH, Riley Mulholland, MPH

Read the full article here.

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The Hepatitis B Foundation and The African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition denounce the unethical HepB birth dose study in Guinea-Bissau

Doylestown, Pa., Oct. 14, 2026 | The Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and The African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition (ABAC) strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ plan to support a study of the hepatitis B birth dose in Guinea-Bissau.

We are deeply concerned with the study and its protocols, and the ethical issues that arise with withholding a proven preventative vaccine from those who are at high-risk of contracting the virus. Guinea-Bissau has one of the highest prevalence rates of hepatitis B in the world, with approximately 12% of adults estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B. Guinea-Bissau also faces a substantial burden of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, ranking seventh among the 49 sub-Saharan African countries in liver cancer mortality.