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. 2024 Jul 24;15(1):489.
doi: 10.4102/jphia.v15i1.489. eCollection 2024.

Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination for Gambian healthcare workers: A pilot study

Buba Manjang  1   2   3 , Ebrima Keita  4 , Sheikh Omar Bittaye  5   6 , Bubacarr Jallow  7 , Sambou Mbye  7 , Abdoulie B Badjie  7 , Ibrahim Touray  7 , Lamin Bojang  8 , Saydiba Tamba  9 , Lamin Kebbeh  9 , Lamin M Bojang  9 , Sanna Kanyi  10 , Modou Lamin Sanneh  11 , Njaga Ceesay  10 , Joanna M Gaitens  12 , Hanna M LeBuhn  12 , Melissa A McDiarmid  12
Affiliations

Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination for Gambian healthcare workers: A pilot study

Buba Manjang et al. J Public Health Afr. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: healthcare workers; hepatitis B virus; occupational health; prevalence; serology testing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Pilot hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination of health workers in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital operational methodology at the screening site.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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