Antiretroviral Therapy is Highly Effective Against Incident Hepatitis B Disease Acquisition Among HIV-Infected Adults in Rakai, Uganda

Abstract

Co-infection with HepatitisB(HBV) and HIV iscommonin sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and accelerates progression of liver disease to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) andother complications. About 60% of HCC in Africa is attributed to HBV. In Uganda, 80% of HCC patients have HBVand20%have HIV/HBV coinfection.HCCis the 4th commonest cancer among Ugandan males and the 6th commonest in females. It is almost always a fatal malignancy in SSA. Prevention of HBV is best achieved through vaccination. Vaccination of HIV-infected adults for HBV is standard of care in developed countries but not in SSA where HBV is believed to be acquired in childhood and where there is lack of HBV incidence data. We investigated the incidence and risk factors associated with HBV among HIV-infected adults in Rakai, Uganda.