Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Associated Factors Among Blood Donors at a District Hospital in Ghana: A 2-Year Retrospective Study
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Background and Aims
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global public health concern, particularly in developing countries, where it poses a major challenge to safe blood transfusion services. Blood donors represent an important subset of the population for assessing HBV prevalence, as transfusions are a key route for transmission. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of HBV infection among blood donors at Methodist Hospital, Wenchi, Ghana.
Methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from the blood bank at Methodist Hospital, Wenchi from January 2022 to December 2023 and analyzed using SPSS version 25.
Results
The overall HBV seroprevalence among blood donors was 6.8%, with a higher infection rate among females (16.7%) compared to males (6.3%). The highest seroprevalence (9.4%) occurred in donors aged 30–39 years and voluntary donors showed a higher infection rate (8.2%) than non-voluntary donors (6.5%). Among blood groups, individuals with blood groups A and B exhibited the highest infection rates (8.5%). Factors such as age (AOR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.10 – 5.32, p-value =0.023), gender (AOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.05 – 4.35, p-value= 0.004) and Rhesus status (AOR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.08 – 3.35, p-value= 0.031) were significantly associated with HBV infection.
Conclusion
The study revealed a significant HBV seroprevalence of 6.8% among blood donors, classifying the region as medium-endemic per WHO guidelines. The findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced HBV screening, rigorous blood safety measures and targeted public health interventions including vaccination and education campaigns to mitigate the transmission risk.
