Situation Analysis of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis among Pregnant Women: A Case of Burco General Hospital, Somaliland

Abstract

Background: Sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and Sexually Transmitted Diseases like syphilis remain a public health concern, with 2.3 million deaths per year and 1 million people newly infected per day. This accounts for about 14% of deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases globally. These diseases can be vertically transmitted and have a particular burden on pregnant and newborns, especially in low-income countries. Objectives: This study aims to determine the seroprevalence and determinants of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis among pregnant women attending the obstetric department of Burco General Hospital, Somaliland. Methodology: quantitative research with a cross-sectional study design using semi-structured questionnaires and rapid test kits were used to screen 271 pregnant women attending the hospital. Both descriptive and analytic statistics were calculated using SPSS v20. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated with a level of significance set at 5%. Results: the prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis among pregnant women attending Burco General Hospital was 0.4%, 4.1%, and 3% respectively. The cross-reactivity of HIV/HBV was 9.1%. There was no significant risk factor outcome regarding sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. Conclusion and recommendations: Infectious diseases are a public health burden among pregnant women in Burao. However, antenatal care provides an excellent opportunity to screen women for infections that are common and treatable and can be transmitted vertically. Ministry of Health should adopt proper prevention and control intervention guidelines to reduce the risk of these three infections in line with WHO triple elimination guidelines.