1 INTRODUCTION Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection constitutes a major global health burden, with an estimated 296 million people chronically infected in 2019.1 This DNA virus is highly endemic in geographical areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, China, and South America.2 HBV infection can be acquired through various routes, including vertical transmission, sexual contact, and unsafe injections.2 HBV is also the most prevalent transfusion-transmitted viral infection despite...
