Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibodies among pregnant women in Yemen

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a public health concern worldwide. It is associated with high rates of mother-tochild transmission, yet there are no published studies on the infection among pregnant women in the southern and eastern governorates of Yemen. Aim: To assess the prevalence of hepatitis B infection among pregnant women attending primary health care centres in Yemen. Methods: Between December 2023 and February 2024, we interviewed and tested 921 pregnant Yemeni women attending primary health care centres for antenatal care services in Aden, Mukalla and Marib governorates of Yemen. We analysed the data using SPSS version 25 and used chi-square to test the association between the categorical variables. P = 0.05 was taken as statistical significance. Results: Forty-five of the 921 pregnant women (5%) were reactive for HBsAg (95% CI; 3.6–6.5%) and 66 (7.2%) for (95% CI; 5.6%-9%). Marib Governorate had the highest prevalence of HBsAg (10.4%) and anti-HBc (12.7%). Type of governorate and social status of the women were significantly associated with HBsAg and anti-HBc reactivity. First trimester was associated with HBsAg. Conclusion: The moderate prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant women in Yemen increases the risk of motherto-child transmission and a high-risk of chronic hepatitis in infected children. It indicates the need for preventive interventions, including routine screening of pregnant women and introduction of birth dose hepatitis B vaccine.