A Retrospective Study on the Prevalence and Health Worker’s Perspective on Hepatitis B virus Infection in Ngora District, Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a global health problem and it is estimated that one-third of the world population has been infected with HBV with serological evidence of past or present infection. It is estimated that over 400 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis B globally. Currently, its prevalence among the Ugandans is about 10% (3.5 million people). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and Health workers’ perspective on Hepatitis B in Ngora District, Eastern Uganda. Methods: The study involved mixed methods. A retrospective study was used to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B in Ngora district where laboratory records were reviewed. A questionnaire was administered to the research participants to assess their knowledge and attitude on Hepatitis B. Consecutive sampling technique was used for selection where every health workers on duty who consented to participate took part in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the participants and analysis was done by use of SPSS. Results: The overall prevalence of hepatitis B in Ngora was 7.5% (3939/52603). Majority of the Health Workers had low knowledge on the cause, signs and symptoms, transmission, risk factors, complications and management of hepatitis B. Majority of the health workers had a positive attitude towards hepatitis B as expressed by their willingness to participate in screening, caring for the patients and participation in vaccination Conclusion: Whereas the prevalence of Hepatitis B in Ngora district was lower than the national average, it was high compared to the prevalence in the eastern region. Health workers’ Knowledge on Hepatitis B in Ngora district was low and this may have contributed to the high prevalence of Hepatitis B in Ngora district. Recommendation: We recommend training of all the health workers in Ngora District in form of short courses on continuous medical education (CMEs) on Hepatitis B to bridge knowledge gap.