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Ibrahim Y, Qureshi A, Jackson M, Zovich B, Freeland C, Flomo M, Alik K, Yakubov R, Chen LH, Yeboah PK, Cohen C. Why does hepatitis B remain underprioritized? A view through lived experience. World J Methodol 2026; 16(2): 114604 [PMID: 42058812 DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v16.i2.114604]
Yasmin Ibrahim, Anousha Qureshi, Michaela Jackson, Beatrice Zovich, Catherine Freeland, Monue Flomo, Kenson Alik, Ravshan Yakubov, Li-Hui Chen, Philip Kwame Yeboah, Chari Cohen, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA 18902, United States
Author contributions: Ibrahim Y, Jackson M, and Qureshi A conceptualized and designed the manuscript, and wrote the original draft of the manuscript; Zovich B, Freeland C and Cohen C conceptualized the manuscript and reviewed and edited the manuscript draft; Flomo M, Alik K, Yakubov R, Chen LH, Yeboah PK reviewed and edited the manuscript draft.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Yasmin Ibrahim, MD, Associate Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, Senior Researcher, Hepatitis B Foundation, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902, United States. yasmin.ibrahim@hepb.org
Received: September 24, 2025 Revised: October 30, 2025 Accepted: December 8, 2025 Published online: June 20, 2026 Processing time: 211 Days and 23.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: The article explores why chronic hepatitis B infection, despite affecting 259 million people globally, remains underprioritized. Only 3% of those infected receive treatment, and stigma, discrimination, and systemic neglect persist. Through lived experiences of people with hepatitis B worldwide, this article explores barriers to progress-such as marginalization of impacted population and inequitable funding among others, and draws lessons from human immunodeficiency virus, coronavirus disease 2019, and Ebola, where advocacy, political will, and investment drove change. It calls for stronger collaboration, greater investment in care and prevention, integration of disease programs, and inclusion of patient-reported outcomes to accelerate elimination and improve the lives of people living with hepatitis B.
