Hepatitis B prevention and treatment needs in women in Senegal (ANRS 12356 AmBASS survey).

BACKGROUND: Although mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is prevalent in West Africa, epidemiological data on HBV infection in women remain scarce. We studied i) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence and its correlates, ii) HBV screening history and serological status awareness, iii) MTCT risk and treatment needs in Senegalese women. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based serosurvey for HBsAg positivity was conducted in 2018-2019 in the rural area of Niakhar (Fatick region, Senegal). Participants were offered home-based HBV screening and answered face-to-face questionnaires. HBsAg-positive participants underwent clinical and biological assessments. Data were weighted and calibrated to be representative of the area's population. Logistic regression models helped identify factors associated with HBsAg-positivity in adult women (> 15 years old). RESULTS: HBsAg prevalence in adult women was 9.2% [95% confidence interval: 7.0-11.4]. Factors associated with HBsAg-positivity were being 15-49 years old (ref: ≥ 50), living in a household with > 2 other HBsAg-positive members, and knowing someone with liver disease. Only 1.6% of women had already been tested for HBV; no one who tested HBsAg positive was already aware of their serological status. In women 15-49 years old, 5% risked MTCT and none were eligible for long-term antiviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Adult women have a high HBsAg prevalence but a low MTCT risk. Low rates of HBV screening and serological status awareness argue for the adoption of systematic screening during pregnancy using free and rapid diagnostic tests. Additionally, screening household members of HBsAg-positive women may greatly improve the cascade of care in rural Senegal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03215732.

Effectiveness of direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C treatment in migrant and non-migrant populations in France.

Despite universal health coverage in France, migrants face specific socioeconomic barriers that increase the likelihood of a suboptimal cascade of care for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and impaired treatment effectiveness in this sub-population. We selected data collected from 2012 to 2018 from the ANRS CO22 HEPATHER prospective cohort study for chronic HCV participants with available data on treatment failure (defined as the presence of a detectable HCV-RNA load 12 weeks after their first DAA treatment ended). We performed multivariable Poisson regression models to test whether treatment failure rates differed significantly between HCV-infected migrants and non-migrants receiving DAA in France (cross-sectional analysis), while taking into account the former's world region of birth and other potential social vulnerability factors. Among the study population's 7,879 patients, 5,829 (74%) were non-migrants and 2,050 (26%) migrants. Median [interquartile range] age was 57 [51-65] years, 4433 (56%) were men and 369 (5%) of the entire study population had treatment failure. After multivariable adjustment, only migrants from Central Asia were at higher risk of treatment failure than non-migrants (aIRR = 2.83; 95% CI [1.72, 4.65]). Results from this large-scale study performed in France suggest a higher risk of DAA treatment failure in migrants from Central Asia than in non-migrants and confirm the overall low treatment failure rate in chronic HCV patients treated with DAA (whether migrants or not). Simplified models of care taking into account language and cultural barriers are needed to improve DAA effectiveness in migrants from Central Asia.

Prevention and care of hepatitis B in the rural region of Fatick in Senegal: a healthcare workers' perspective using a mixed methods approach.

BACKGROUND: In countries where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic, including Senegal, the World Health Organization recommends systematic HBV screening of pregnant women and vaccination at birth to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). This study investigated healthcare workers' (HCW) knowledge and practices regarding HBV prevention and care in the rural region of Fatick in Senegal, as well as challenges they faced in implementing prevention activities related to HBV MTCT. METHODS: A mixed-methods survey was conducted between May-July 2017 among 112 HCW working in 15 healthcare facilities in two districts of the Fatick region using face-to-face questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and chi-square/Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze quantitative data, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: The study population included 87 HCW in the quantitative component (83% women, median age [interquartile range, IQR] = 35 [31-40] years) and 11 in the qualitative component. A knowledge gap was observed in key areas of HBV infection: only 24, 51 and 38%, respectively, correctly reported that early HBV acquisition is associated with a high risk of developing chronic infection, that perinatal transmission is one of the main modes of HBV transmission in Senegal, and that three to four doses of HBV vaccine are required to ensure immunization in children. Despite good acceptability of systematic screening of pregnant women and vaccination at birth, only 48% of HCW mainly involved in prenatal care and 71% of those involved exclusively in vaccination routinely performed these two key interventions. HCW reported several structural barriers that may hinder their implementation: a lack of training in HBV and in counseling, poor availability of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), high costs of both screening and treatment, a lack of adequate information on treatment options and missed opportunities for vaccination at birth. CONCLUSIONS: HCW working in the Fatick region may be insufficiently trained and supported to effectively implement HBV prevention strategies. Our findings suggest an urgent need to strengthen MTCT prevention in this region, by improving HCW knowledge in key areas of HBV infection, providing RDT and antiviral treatment at low cost, and enhancing community-based interventions for the timely vaccination of newborns.