Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and effects of service charges on notification among pregnant women attending antenatal care at General Hospital, Otukpo, Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem, even though its prevalence is disproportionately high in resource-limited countries, it is still under-reported. Mother-to-child transmission is a major route of HBV transmission in an endemic region like sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the prevalence of HBV infection and the effect of service charge on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) disease notification among pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic at General Hospital, Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study with convenient sampling techniques were used for all pregnant women enrolled for antenatal care (ANC) within the reviewed period. Chi-square (χ2) test was used for the test of association between the independent variable and the main outcome of the study, with statistical significance set at P = 5%. 

Results: Of the total 1144 cases reviewed, 843 (73.7%) were tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 301 (26.3%) were tested for HBsAg. The test for HIV was free while that of HBsAg was done out of pocket expenses. The majority of the women were between 25 and 30 years with a mean age of 25 ± 9.54 years. The seropositive rate for HIV was 2.4% (n = 20) while that of HBsAg was 5.6% (n = 17). The relationship between underreporting of positive and negative cases of HBsAg and service charges was statistically significant (P < 0.005).

Conclusion: To achieve the global goal of elimination of HBV and, or reducing the prevalence of HBsAg in general population, the free opt-in screening just like in the case of HIV must be adopted for all pregnant women accessing ANC in public health facilities. This will inform both prevention, control, and antiviral management intervention strategies.