Prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant women in Libreville, Gabon

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major public health problems worldwide. In pregnant women, there is a risk of mother-to-child transmission (vertical transmission) of the infection. The contaminated newborn will most often remain a chronic carrier. Gabon is part of the highly endemic area for hepatitis B. This study aims to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B in pregnant women at the Estuaire Regional Hospital of Melen, Libreville, Gabon. The study was carried out at the Laboratory of the Center Hospitalier Régionale Estuaire Melen (CHREM), over a period of 5 years, from January 2018 to December 2022. It was a retrospective and prospective study ranging from January 2018 to December 2022. For the prospective study, the data was collected in the CHREM Laboratory library, by using registers and filing cabinets. For the prospective study, blood samples were taken and analyzed using Abbott Determine® HBsAg kits and the BioMérieux mini Vidas system. The variables studied were age, HBs status, profession, level of study, and residence. The data collected was entered into an Excel file (Microsoft Office 2016) and analyzed using XLSTAT 2016.4.01 and Epi Info™ 7.2.5 software and expressed as means and percentages. A total of 1615 pregnant women seen in the CHREM laboratory department were included in the study. Of which, 315 were diagnosed as HBsAg carriers, representing a prevalence of 8.36%. Depending on the year, the highest prevalence was observed in 2019 with 20 positive cases out of 267 women screened, i.e., 9.38%. Depending on the districts, the highest prevalence was found in the Essassa and Plein Ciel districts with 16.43% and 18.18%, respectively. According to the age groups, the highest prevalence was observed in the age group 26–30 with 10.16% (p = 0.075) out of 492 patients screened. Depending on the profession, the prevalence was higher among female students with 21.97% (p = 0.020). According to marital status, unmarried had the highest prevalence with 8.8% (p = 0.064). And according to nationality, women of Gabonese nationality had a higher prevalence with 9.52%. Antenatal transmission of HBV is high in Libreville. The inaccessibility of antiviral therapy for viral hepatitis B makes the immunization of mothers and children a priority in Gabon.