Burden of Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinic at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a serious public health challenge globally. Despite HBV vaccination providing over 95% protection against chronic infection, mother-to-child transmission remains the leading cause of a higher prevalence of HBV infection. Thus, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of HBV infection among pregnant women visiting an antenatal care clinic in northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 292 pregnant women from May to August 2023 at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital antenatal care (ANC) clinic, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. A simple random sampling technique was employed to recruit pregnant women. Sociodemographic, clinical, and other factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Five milliliters of venous blood were collected using a Vacutainer tube. Serum samples were isolated and tested for HBsAg using a one-step HBsAg test strip, with further confirmation through an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test kit. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, and the association between HBV infection and predictor variables was computed using a logistic regression analysis. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The age range of pregnant women was from 18 to 44 years, with a mean (SD) age of 28.3 (5.5) years. The overall prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women was 3.1% (95% CI: 1.4–5.8). An intermediate prevalence of HBV infection was found among pregnant women. To reduce the burden of HBV infection in these study groups, it is critical to enhance public awareness, expand HBV vaccination programs, increase HBV screening, and provide early treatment.