Epidemiological Survey of Viral Hepatitis B and C among HIV Infected Pregnant Women Attending Care and Treatment in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria

Introduction: The epidemiology of viral hepatitis during pregnancy is of great importance for health
care policy organizers and program managers. Viral hepatitis B, C and Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) are among most common blood-borne infections occurring globally with great clinical
implications. If these infections, remain unidentified and untreated among HIV infected pregnant
women, children born to these pregnant women are at high risk of these viral hepatitis infections.
Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the sero-prevalence of HBV and HCV among HIV
infected pregnant women in Abuja, Nigeria.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study among 330 HIV infected pregnant women commencing
antiretroviral therapy (ART) at National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development
(NIPRD), Abuja, Nigeria were studied. The women were screened for the presence of HBV and HCV
antibodies. A well-structured self-administered questionnaire used in this study was originally drafted,
validated by the experts in Public health and Virology. The pre-tested questionnaire was used to
obtain socio-demographic data prior to recruitment/enrollment. Data were analyzed using statistical
product and service solutions (SPSS) (version 20.0).
Results: Out of the 330 HIV infected pregnant women, 90 (27.3%) were HBV positive, while 5 (1.5%)
were HCV positive (p = 0.42). The highest prevalence was observed among the age group of 20 – 29.
However, none of the patients tested positive for both HBV and HCV.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that infection with viral hepatitis is common and
would impose more political and socioeconomic burdens on infected individuals and dynamic
societies, resulting in a great public health challenge. Therefore, concerted efforts such as strategies
and clear policies of intervention should be put in place to mitigate the epidemics at both the regional
and national levels.