jordan pulse -

A joint study by Biolab Medical Laboratory’s Scientific Research Department, led by Dr Issa Abu-Dayyeh, and the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, headed by Prof Laith Abu-Raddad, revealed a sharp decline in hepatitis B prevalence in Jordan thanks to national vaccination campaigns.

Published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis, the study analysed data from over 40,000 hepatitis B tests conducted between 2010 and 2024 — marking Jordan’s most comprehensive assessment of the virus to date. Findings prevalence fell by nearly 7% annually over the past 15 years, with infection rates now extremely low among those born after the 1995 launch of the vaccination programme.

Dr Abu-Dayyeh said the research highlights a generational shift: “Children protected by the vaccine have infection rates about 20 times lower than adults born before the programme.”

Prof Abu-Raddad described the progress as “a remarkable public health success”, but warned that meeting WHO’s 2030 elimination goal requires expanding birth-dose coverage, screening pregnant women, and improving access to treatment.

Around 200,000 Jordanians live with chronic hepatitis B, yet only 1% are diagnosed and just 2% of eligible patients receive therapy. Researchers called for urgent action to close testing and treatment gaps.

Dr Ameed Abdelnour, Biolab founder and CEO, said the collaboration between Jordanian and Qatari researchers “offers a model for regional efforts to control hepatitis B”.