Hepatitis B in Georgia: Progress, Gaps, and Equity Across the Prevention-to-Care Cascade

Aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma globally. This review assesses Georgia’s progress toward the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) 2022–2030 targets for eliminating viral hepatitis as a public-health problem, with a focus on the prevention-to-care cascade.

Subject and Methods: Georgia, a country in the WHO European Region, has sustained high infant hepatitis B vaccination coverage and conducted two nationwide hepatitis B virus serosurveys, yet publicly available evidence is dispersed. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus, and reviewed grey literature from WHO, WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE) and national/partner reports. Evidence was synthesized across four domains: epidemiology; prevention through vaccination and prevention of mother-to-child transmission; testing–treatment care cascade; and equity.

Results: Available data indicate adult hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence of 2.9% in 2015 and 2.7% in 2021; among children aged 5–17 years, HBsAg prevalence was 0.03% in 2021, reflecting immunization impact. Hepatitis B birth dose and three-dose infant series coverage generally exceeded 90% over the last decade. However, evidence on adult diagnosis and antiviral treatment coverage, and on subgroup disparities, remains limited.

Conclusion: Consolidating epidemiologic and program indicators clarifies Georgia’s progress toward GHSS 2030 targets and highlights priorities to strengthen adult testing, linkage and treatment, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care across the hepatitis B cascade.