Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ( HBsAg) and Its Risk Factors among People Attending Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Centre and Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) Clinics of Goba Hospital.

Abstract

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is significant health problem, as it can lead to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatic carcinoma. Approximately 400 million person worlds wide have chronic HBV infection and up to 1 million die annually from HBV related liver disease (1). Factors associated with HBV propagation include blood and derivates transfusion, sexual contact, equipment contamination and contact among patients as well as between them and health–care workers. On the other hand acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been described as the most devastating disease human kind has ever faced (2). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and its risk factors, among individuals visiting Goba Hospital. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on 168 VCT clients from June 01, 2009 to August 31, 2009. Sociodemographic and risk factors data were collected using structured questioner. Blood samples were collected and screened for HBsAg by commercially available rapid test kit and HIV screening was performed by rapid test kist as KHB for screening and positive samples were tested with STATPACK. Samples giving discordant results in the two tests were re-examined using tie-breaker, (Uni-Gold HIV). The prevalence of HBsAg in VCT clients was 7%, of the HBV infected persons 8(66.6%) were seropositive for HIV. In this study significantly high prevalence of HBsAg marker was observed on the occupation of individual’s higher rate and the difference were found statistically significant, even though the result was statically non significant the prevalence of HBsAg was increased with the age. This study suggests that hepatitis B infection has high prevalence in VCT centres of Goba Hospital.Therefore, preventive measures program should be implemented at the Hospital, especially  at the VCT centres and these patients should be identified early and managed appropriately so as to reduce the risk of long term complications like cirrhosis.

Keywords: HBsAg, HIV, Goba Hospital, Ethiopia