Unit of Quality Assurance and Laboratory Management, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
ScientificWorldJournal. 2021 Apr 9;2021:8873389. doi: 10.1155/2021/8873389. eCollection 2021.
Hepatitis C virus is a highly genetically heterogenous bloodborne pathogen that is responsible for acute and chronic hepatitis. Globally, an estimated 71 million population is chronically infected with this virus from which 399,000 people die every year. Its prevalence is high in Ethiopia and varies from region to region, even among different studies within a region.
Electronic databases, including Science Direct, Medline, HINARI, African Journals Online, TRIP database, African Index Medicus, and Directory of Open Access Journals, searched from 2010 to 2020 and published articles were included. Due to evidence of considerable heterogeneity, the pooled prevalence of anti-HCV was analyzed using the random-effects model. The possible sources of heterogeneity were analyzed through subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression. Funnel plots and Egger's test statistics were used to determine the presence of publication bias.
The analysis of 56 articles showed that the prevalence of anti-HCV in Ethiopia ranged from 0% to 22%. The pooled prevalence estimated was 2% (95% CI 2.0-3.0), and the meta-regression statistics indicated that the diagnostic method (=0.037), study group (=0.005), and level of bias (=0.035) showed statistically significant association with the outcome variable. The sensitivity analysis claims no influence on the overall effect estimate while removing a single study from the analysis at a time. Egger's test statistics ( ≤ 0.001) declare the presence of publication bias that is handled using time and fill analysis.
The pooled prevalence of anti-HCV in Ethiopia was high. Predictor variables, including the diagnostic method, study group, and level of bias, showed a statistically significant relationship with the outcome variable. Strengthening the scope of existing prevention and control programs and implementing novel approaches, including screen-and-treat, could significantly help to tackle this critical public health issue. The study provides a current estimate which is valuable for policymakers and other responsible bodies.
丙型肝炎病毒是一种高度遗传异质性的血源性病原体，可导致急性和慢性肝炎。据估计，目前全球有 7100 万人感染丙型肝炎病毒，其中每年有 39.9 万人死亡。该病毒在埃塞俄比亚的流行率较高，且在不同地区甚至同一地区的不同研究中存在差异。
我们检索了 2010 年至 2020 年期间的电子数据库，包括 Science Direct、Medline、HINARI、African Journals Online、TRIP 数据库、African Index Medicus 和开放获取期刊目录，并纳入了相关文章。由于存在显著的异质性，我们使用随机效应模型分析了抗-HCV 的合并患病率。通过亚组分析、敏感性分析和荟萃回归分析来分析可能存在的异质性来源。漏斗图和 Egger 检验统计量用于确定是否存在发表偏倚。
对 56 篇文章的分析结果显示，埃塞俄比亚的抗-HCV 流行率范围为 0%至 22%。估计的合并患病率为 2%（95%CI 2.0-3.0），荟萃回归统计结果表明，诊断方法（=0.037）、研究组（=0.005）和偏倚水平（=0.035）与结局变量呈统计学显著关联。敏感性分析表明，每次删除一项研究时，均不会对总体效应估计产生影响。Egger 检验统计量（≤0.001）表明存在发表偏倚，通过时间和填充分析进行了处理。
埃塞俄比亚的抗-HCV 合并患病率较高。包括诊断方法、研究组和偏倚水平在内的预测变量与结局变量之间存在统计学显著关系。加强现有的预防和控制计划的范围，并实施新的方法，包括筛查和治疗，可能会显著有助于解决这一重大公共卫生问题。本研究提供了当前的估计值，对政策制定者和其他相关机构具有重要价值。
