Abstract
Objective To evaluate the implementation of a screening strategy for the partners and children of pregnant women with hepatitis B virus(HBV) attending antenatal care.Methods We identified pregnant women positive for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) at antenatal consultation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.At post-test counselling, women were advised to disclose their HBV status to partners and to encourage their partner and children to bescreened for HBsAg. We used multivariable logistic regression to explore factors associated with uptake of screening and HBsAg positivityamong family members.Findings Of 1000 HBsAg-positive women, 436/1000 partners and 215/1281 children were screened. HBsAg was detected in 55 (12.6%)partners and 24 (11.2%) children. After adjusting for confounders, uptake of screening was higher in partners who were married, whoattended the woman’s first post-test consultation and to whom the woman had disclosed her HBV status. In children, HBsAg positivity wasassociated with being born before the introduction of infant hepatitis B vaccination in Burkina Faso (not significant in the multivariableanalysis), having a mother positive for HBV e-antigen (adjusted OR: 8.57; 95% CI: 2.49–29.48) or having a mother with HBV DNA level≥ 200 000 IU/mL (OR: 6.83; 95% CI: 1.61–29.00).Conclusion In low-income countries, the antenatal consultation provides a cost-effective opportunity to identify HBV-infected householdcontacts and link them to care. Children born before the introduction of infant hepatitis B vaccination and whose mother has higher viralload or infectivity should be a priority for testing and linkage to care