Hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence and the rates of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus after the introduction of infant vaccination programs in South East Asia and Western Pacific regions: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

Infant vaccination against the hepatitis B virus began in the World Health Organization South East Asia Region and the Western Pacific Region between 1983 and 2016. This systematic review examined the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in children and the rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in these regions between 1990 and 2020.

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for articles published between January 1990 and September 2020, which reported seroprevalence of HBsAg in children aged 0-15 years and/or the rate of MTCT in the South East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region. A pragmatic review identified supporting information. This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (#CRD42020211707).

RESULTS

Of 115 included studies, 77 (24 countries) reported HBsAg prevalence, and 38 (nine countries) reported MTCT. The seroprevalence of HBsAg ranged between 0.0% and 27.4%, with a decreasing trend over time in each country. MTCT rates were 0.0-5.2% in infants of mothers who are hepatitis B e antigen-negative and 2.7-53.0% in infants of mothers who are hepatitis B e antigen-positive.

CONCLUSION

After the introduction of infant hepatitis B virus vaccination programs, the countries in South East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region observed a reduction in HBsAg seroprevalence in children. Nevertheless, the risk of MTCT persists, emphasizing the importance of antenatal screening to identify high-risk pregnancies.