Burden of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV Infections Among Adult Citizens in Kandahar City, Afghanistan

Abstract

-Background:Blood borne diseases including viral hepatitis are important public health challenges worldwide. There is a notable dearth of data about Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and HIV prevalence in Afghanistan. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV infections among adult populations in Kandahar city, Afghanistan. Methods and Materials:A total of 1165 adult citizens in Kandahar city were included in the study using a cross-sectional design in October-November 2015. Data on demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were collected using WHO STEP wise approach. Rapid tests were conducted to identify the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV infections. Statistical analysis performed Using SPSS v.20. Results: Of total records, females constituted almost half 597 (51.2%) with overall mean age of 38.3±11.2 years. The prevalence of HBV was 2% (22 out of 1153) for HBsAg on rapid test and 12 subject (1%) were seropositive for anti-HCV on rapid tests. None of subjects had co-infections. None of specimen were positive for HIV infection showed zero prevalence. Proportion of married groups was 79.3%, illiteracy rate was 73.2% and 88.5% of women were at home doing housework (housewives). About one tenth (9.7%) were smokers and 16.3% were snuffers. There was no statistical association of studied factors with HBV and HCV. Conclusion: The study found low prevalence of HBV and HCV in adult citizens in Kandahar city. Public awareness and health education regarding risk factors for viral hepatitis and encouragement for vaccination is recommended. More focus is needed to be given to high risk groups due their vulnerability to diseases.