TITLE:
Evaluation of the Prevention of Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Viral Hepatitis B in the Delivery Room of the Libreville University Hospital in 2024
AUTHORS:
Patrice Emery Itoudi-Bignoumba, Agnès Angela Engoang, Dilane Kouekam-Kamga, Nathalie Ambounda-Ledaga, Patrick Dieudoné Nzouto, Inès Flore Maganga-Moussavou, Monique Mbounja, Arlette Nsegué, Jean Baptiste Moussavou-Kombila
KEYWORDS:
Hepatitis B, Maternal-Fetal Transmission, Libreville
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Gastroenterology,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
8,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Viral hepatitis B (HBV) remains a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal-fetal transmission represents a major route of infection. Preventing this transmission is essential to achieving the WHO’s 2030 virus elimination goals. Objective: To assess the prevention of maternal-fetal transmission of viral hepatitis B (HBV) among women in labor admitted to the delivery room at Libreville University Hospital in 2024. Methodology: This was a retrospective, longitudinal, and analytical study conducted from February 1 to August 31, 2024. Data were collected from the delivery room records of the Libreville University Hospital, supplemented by phone calls to women in labor. All women admitted to the delivery room who had undergone HBsAg screening were included. Data entry and analysis were performed using Excel 2019. Descriptive statistical analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with infection. Results: The average age was 27.84 ± 6.78 years. Their marital profile revealed 83.13% single and 16.87% married. 75.97% were unemployed, 13.03% civil servants, and 11% businesswomen. The level of education was secondary in 76.94% of cases, primary in 20.72%, and higher in 2.35%. The hepatitis B screening rate was 83.56%, the hepatitis B seroprevalence was 3.64%. The analysis identified factors associated with infection, including a protective association for tattoos (OR 0.4 [0.15 - 0.87]; p 0.026) and risk associations for scarification (OR 3.47 [1.7 - 6.47]; p 0.000) and household size (OR 2 [1.12 - 3.89]; p 0.019). Among newborns born to HBsAg-positive mothers, only 70.18% received vaccination at birth, and 63.16% serovaccination. No child born to seronegative mothers had received a hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Conclusion: Prevention of maternal-fetal transmission of hepatitis B at the Libreville University Hospital remains insufficiently implemented. Systematic screening, access to treatment, and vaccination at birth are necessary to meet international recommendations.