Seroprevalence of Chronic Viral Hepatitis B in School Children Aged Less Than 10 Years in the Region of Southern Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic viral hepatitis remain a public health problem worldwide. Being the seventh leading cause of the deaths, it accounts for 1.4 million deaths annually, with 47% related to hepatitis B and 48% to hepatitis C. In Cameroon, screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is mandatory by the sixth month of pregnancy. This study aimed at evaluating the carriage rate of HBsAg among pupils in the south region, 10 years after the introduction of the pentavalent vaccine in the expanded immunization programme. Material and methods: This study was conducted in schools in Ebolowa (and its neighborhoods), south of Cameroon, during the five months period from November 1st 2015 to March 17th 2016. Eight schools were randomly selected. All children less than 10 years old were enrolled in our study. Children not meeting our selection criteria, or whose data forms were appropriately filled were excluded. Sampling was done by a laboratory technician of the Ebolowa regional hospital and transferred to the laboratory of the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital for analysis. Data was analyzed using the Epi info software. Results: A total of 471 pupils met our selection criteria with a male to female ration of 0.94 (243 females against 228 males). Five children were HBsAg positive, giving an overall prevalence of 1.06%. Among the 471 pupils, only 166 were appropriately vaccinated as per the extended immunization programme, yielding 35.24% coverage. Conclusion: Despite the low immunization coverage rate, there is a positive impact on the prevalence of hepatitis B among children. Everything being equal, improving the immunization coverage as per the EPI will certainly yield lower rates of infection among children, and thus in the long run, within the general population.