Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Among Low-Risk Obstetric Population Attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a global public health problem and accounts for 400 million chronic infections worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) amongst low risk pregnant women in Sokoto Specialist Hospital, Nigeria. Method: This case study investigated the prevalence of HBsAg among consecutively-recruited pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Sokoto Specialist Hospital, Nigeria. Result: Out of 117 pregnant women tested, 15 were positive for HBsAg (12.8%). There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of HBsAg, among the obstetric subjects studied based on age, ethnicity, educational status, previous history of transfusion, employment status and previous history of still births (p>0.05). Conclusion: There is need for routine screening of all pregnant women and infants born to hepatitis B positive mothers. Government and non-governmental organizations should intensify efforts to enlighten the general population on the public health importance of the disease and the importance of hepatitis screening. There is also need for the development of a treatment protocol for the management of pregnant women positive for hepatitis B to prevent mother to child transmission. There is an urgent need for the implementation of evidenced-based best practice of providing universal vaccination against hepatitis B for all hepatitis B negative women of child bearing age in particular and all Nigerians in general. Mass vaccination of all infants, irrespective of maternal HBV carriage status, may be the most effective approach to HBV prevention and control in Sokoto in particular and Nigeria in general.