Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination for Gambian healthcare workers: A pilot study
Journal of Public Health in Africa
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination for Gambian healthcare workers: A pilot study | |
| Creator | Manjang, Buba Keita, Ebrima Bittaye, Sheikh O. Jallow, Bubacarr Mbye, Sambou Badjie, Abdoulie B. Touray, Ibrahim Bojang, Lamin Tamba, Saydiba Kebbeh, Lamin Bojang, Lamin M. Kanyi, Sanna Sanneh, Modou Lamin Ceesay, Njaga Gaitens, Joanna M. LeBuhn, Hanna M. McDiarmid, Melissa A. | |
| Description | Background: Hepatitis B infection is a significant global health threat contributing to healthcare worker (HCW) harm, threatening already precarious health systems.Aim: To document self-reported hepatitis B vaccination history and serology results.Setting: A select group of high-risk HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Banjul, the Gambia.Methods: This was a cross-sectional pilot study conducted from 12 June 2023 to 16 June 2023. Participants were HCWs at high risk for blood exposure who completed a health history interview prior to serology testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and vaccination.Results: The pilot study enrolled 70 HCWs who were primarily female (n = 44; 62.9%). The majority of the participants, 43 (61.4%) reported having received at least one dose of the hepatitis B vaccine in the past. The overall prevalence of HBsAg positivity in this study was 4.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5–11.9), all in older participants. Importantly, 60.0% (95% CI: 48.3–70.7) of participants had no anti-HBs detected.Conclusion: This pilot study documents a higher prevalence of hepatitis B infection among older workers and the lack of anti-HBs across the majority of participants. This suggests a serious vulnerability for the individual health worker and indicates the need for a wider screening and vaccination campaign to assess the risk across the Gambian health workforce.Contribution: This pilot study provides the first evidence to support a wider assessment of hepatitis B serology status of Gambian health workers to gauge the need for a broader vaccine campaign. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2024-07-24 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/jphia.v15i1.489 | |
| Source | Journal of Public Health in Africa; Vol 15, No 1 (2024); 6 pages 2038-9930 2038-9922 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/view/489/578
https://publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/view/489/579
https://publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/view/489/580
https://publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/view/489/581
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
