Seroprevalence of hepatitis b markers among blood donors at the yaounde gynaecology obstetrics and pediatrics hospital

Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) remains a significant global health concern. Although technics are in place to reduce the risk of transmission, the increased presence of HBV among blood donors in africa,particulary in Cameroon, there is a risk of transmission through transfusion despite the presence of an HBSAg screening algorithm in blood banks. The aim of this study was to highlight the seroprevalence of hepatitis B markers among blood donors at the Yaounde gynaecology obstetrics and paediatrics hospital. A prospective cross-sectionnal and analytical study was conducted among blood donors at the Yaounde gynaecology obstetrics and paediatrics hospital over a four month period from June to March 2025. Socio-demographic data were collected using survery forms. The search for anti-HBc and anti-HBs antibodies was carried out using rapid diagnostic tests and confirmed by the ELISA method. Statistical tets were performed using SPSS 2022 software, and graphical tables were created using Microsoft word 2019 and Microsoft excel 2019 software.The 200 blood donors selected, we found seroprevalence rates of 13,50% for HBsAg, 43,4% for anti-HBc and 16,2% for anti-HBs with associated risk factors such as age, gender, marital status, and unprotected sexual intercourse. This study shows that transfusion safety remains a significant issues due to the circulation of these infectious markers among family and replacement donors, most of whom discovered their serological status late during a blood donation. It is therefore strongly recommended that HbcAb and/or HbsAb be tested for during the biological qualification of blood donations.