The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Protective hepatitis B surface antibody levels (anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL) were present in 77.0% of 418 women admitted for delivery at Kawempe National Referral Hospital in 2024.
- Why it matters: Mother-to-child transmission sustains HBV in sub-Saharan Africa, but it was unclear whether Ugandan women giving birth are protected and which gaps leave them susceptible.
- What they did: In a 2024 cross-sectional study of 418 women selected by systematic random sampling, anti-HBs was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and other HBV markers by rapid test; modified Poisson regression estimated prevalence ratios.
- The result: Vaccination before the current pregnancy only (aPR 1.54; 95% CI 1.24–1.89) and vaccination during it (aPR 1.86; 95% CI 1.57–2.20) were linked to protection, while 19.6% had no immunity or infection, largely among those never vaccinated.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
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