Call to Action: Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B in Africa.
J Infect Dis
; 217(8): 1180-1183, 2018 03 28.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29351639
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant public health issue that has not been adequately addressed, especially in the high-prevalence region of Africa. Despite the incorporation of HBV vaccines into the Expanded Program on Immunization, children continue to be infected with HBV through maternal-to-child transmission (MTCT). The addition of a birth dose of HBV vaccine would be a cost-effective method to reduce MTCT. Birth-dose HBV vaccine policies have been adopted in the Western Pacific region but not yet in Africa. Even better protection against HBV MTCT can be achieved by treatment of pregnant women with high HBV viral loads with tenofovir. Tenofovir is already widely used in prevention of HIV MTCT (PMTCT) programs. We suggest that existing HIV PMTCT programs could be expanded to deliver care for HBV-infected pregnant women. With appropriate adoption of birth-dose vaccination policies and expansion of PMTCT programs, elimination of HBV MTCT in Africa is achievable.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez
/
Vacinas contra Hepatite B
/
Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas
/
Hepatite B
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Infect Dis
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article