Albania and Armenia meet hepatitis B control targets for children
WHO says country serosurveys found no hepatitis B surface-antigen-positive children aged 6–8 in Albania and Armenia, validating both countries against regional control targets.
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WHO Europe said Albania and Armenia met the hepatitis B control targets in its 2022–2030 regional action plans. The European Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (ETAGE) validated the milestone after assessment of country reports and recommendations from its hepatitis B working group at its sixth meeting on 10 April 2026. Country serosurveys found no positive hepatitis B surface-antigen results among tested children aged 6–8; WHO described this as an estimated prevalence of 0%.
The finding is limited to the age group and serosurveys described in the release; it does not mean hepatitis B has been eliminated from either country. WHO attributed the progress to more than two decades of vaccination and measures to prevent transmission from mother to child, including timely birth-dose vaccination. The report does not provide sample sizes or separate serosurvey estimates for the two countries.
Data
WHO validation based on hepatitis B serosurveys in children
The child serosurvey finding reported by WHO is shown together for the two countries; separate country estimates were not provided.
| Country serosurveys of children aged 6–8 in Albania and Armenia, reported together. | 0 | WHO reports no positive HBsAg results and estimated prevalence of 0%; no separate country estimates or sample sizes are given. |
Methodology
Scoped to the serosurvey statement in WHO/Europe’s 12 October 2026 release; the published text did not give sample sizes.
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Subject proposals
- Communicable diseaseSuggested
- Subject suggested from the title or summary: hepatitiswww.who.int ↗