Serological profile of hepatitis B virus infection among traditional birth attendants and the attending pregnant women in Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

Although a sizable number of pregnant women patronize Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) for deliveries in Nigeria, efforts to prevent or reduce the risk of HBV transmission are not targeted at the TBAs and the pregnant women patronizing them. This may be linked to the dearth of information on the serological profiles of HBV among this cohort. We, therefore, show the serological profiles of HBV among the cohort. One hundred and seventy pregnant women and 91 TBAs participated in this study between May and July 2019. Serological markers of HBV infection were assayed using ELISA. A prevalence of, 8.0% (95% CI 5.0% - 11.5%) for HBsAg, 0.8% (95% CI 0.0% - 1.9%) for HBeAg, 2.7% (95% CI 0.8% - 5.0%) for HBcIgM, 26.1% (95% CI 20.7% - 31.4%) for anti-HBs, 21.5% (95% CI 16.5% - 25.4%) for anti-HBe and 67.0% (95% CI 60.9% - 72.8%) for anti-HBc was found indicating a high percentage of carriers. Although 32 (12.3%) of the entire participants claimed to be fully vaccinated, serological evidence was only detected in 4 (12.5%). The high percentage of carriers and low evidence of vaccination necessitate intensified efforts to ensure that adequate interventions are made available and accessible to the TBAs and the pregnant women patronizing them (including newborn babies).