Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C Viral Infection among Patients Attending to the Endoscopic Clinic at Al-Thowrah Hospital in Sana'a City, Yemen

Abstract

Background : Hepatitis B and C are major public health problems worldwide. It is generally believed that hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are highly prevalent in the Republic of Yemen. Aim : to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viral infection among patients attending the endoscopic clinic at Al-Thowrah hospital in Sana'a City, Yemen. Methods : The descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among patients attending to the endoscopic clinic at Al-Thowrah hospital in Sana'a city from January to December 2017. 1592 patients attending the endoscopic clinic at Al-Thowrah hospital were selected. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire were administered as a face to face interview. The questionnaire was included the following data: demographic data (age, sex, and marital status), and laboratory tests (HBsAg and HCV antibodies). Results : Overall 95.1% of the patients had never been exposed to HBV or HCV infections while 3.4% had HBsAg and 1.5% had HCV infection. The prevalence of HBV and HCV infection among patients according to sex showed that in male 46.2% of the patients had HBsAg and 12.8% had HCV antibodies compared to 23.1% of the patients had HBsAg and 17.9% had HCV infection in females. Conclusions : It is essential to promote awareness of these risks among everyone.