Hepatitis B screening among pregnant women in lira district: a community based cross sectional study.

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic HBV infection affects 80–100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for an estimated 650,000 deaths annually. The prevalence of active hepatitis B virus infection among persons aged 15-64 is about 5% in Mid-Northern Uganda. Lira district is among the high prevalence areas where government embarked on mass HBV screening since 2015 as a gateway for access to prevention, treatment services, and an effective response to the hepatitis epidemic. The current proportion of pregnant women screened and the factors associated with prenatal screening in lira are not known, yet women contribute largely to both vertical and horizontal transmission of HBV. Therefore, the study estimated the proportion of pregnant women screened for HBV and described the factors associated with prenatal HBV screening in Lira district Methods: This was a community based cross sectional study conducted among 423 consenting pregnant women in the sub counties of Aromo and Agweng in Lira district. Data was electronically collected using open data kit and analysed using STATA version 14. The outcome variable was prenatal HBV screening while predictor variables were community, individual and health facility factors associated with HBV screening. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine independent factors associated with HBV screening in Lira district. Written Informed consent was sought from the study participants after obtaining IRB approval from Makerere University and seeking permission from Lira district local government. Results Thirty five women (8.3%) had been screened for HBV for the current pregnancy. Factors associated with HBV screening in Lira included perceived risk (adjusted odds ratio 3.78, 95% CI 1.01-6.14), age of the respondent (adjusted odds ratio 3.98, 95% CI 1.39-5.09), husband/partner’s education (adjusted odds ratio 3.34, 95% CI 1.10-5.12) and past failure to access to HBV screening services at government health facilities (adjusted odds ratio 6.44(2.10- 8.02).

Conclusion: The level of HBV screening among pregnant women in Lira was low at 8.3%. Since the services are available and free in major government health facilities, more effort is needed in creating mass awareness on the need and importance of HBV screening most especially among pregnant women given the role they playing transmission of HBV.