Hepatitis B Prevalence among Pregnant Women in Central and West Nile regions of Uganda: Is there a Need to prioritize Prevention of Mother to Child hepatitis B transmission?
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Square
Abstract
Introduction
Within sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the burden of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) is unacceptably
high in several countries including Uganda. Elimination of HBV in the context of inadequate resources
and several competing health issues, faces challenges including limited data on disease burden in
important population sub-groups. In order to optimize available resources, reliable data on HBV among
pregnant women is useful to guide policies on prevention. This study estimated HBV prevalence and
related factors among pregnant women in Central and West Nile regions of Uganda
Methods
Using a twostage
sampling approach, we selected a random sample of 310 pregnant women, 18 years or older from
public health facility antenatal clinics in central and west Nile, North-western Uganda. Consenting women
were interviewed to obtain data on HBV vaccination status, HIV status, selected sexual and lifestyle
factors and socio-demographic information. In addition, they underwent phlebotomy to obtain blood for
testing for hepatitis B surface antigen, (HBsAg) antibodies to the surface antigen (anti-HBs), and
antibodies to the core (anti-HBc), as indicators of chronic infection, prior exposure, and susceptibility
(anti-HBs <10 mIU /mL), respectively.
Results
Out of 310 women, prevalence of chronic HBV infection
was 6.2%. Prevalence in the West Nile region was notably higher than in the Central region (11.0% vs.
1.3%), p<0.001. In both regions, majority of pregnant women (61% West Nile region, 76% Central region)
were still susceptible to HBV. Overall, proportion who had been tested for HBV and those who reported
having been vaccinated was only 5.8% and 11.3% respectively.
Conclusion
Our findings reveal the burden
of HBV in Ugandan pregnant women is still high, with marked regional differences in disease prevalence,
and poor levels of HBV testing and vaccination. These data suggest that HBV prevention programs and
policies in resource-limited settings like Uganda may need to consider the differential HBV prevalence, as
optimizing HBV prevention services in higher prevalence regions may provide greater impact and thereby
align with the WHO recommendation on HBV elimination strategy in SSA.
Description
Keywords
Hepatitis B Prevalence, Pregnant Women, Central and West Nile regions, Uganda, Mother to Child hepatitis B transmission
Citation
Nankya-Mutyoba, J., Aizire, J., Makumbi, F., Atuyambe, L., Kirk, G., & Ocama, P. (2019). Hepatitis B Prevalence among Pregnant Women in Central and West Nile regions of Uganda: Is there a Need to prioritize Prevention of Mother to Child hepatitis B transmission?. Research Square https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.2.11150/v1