Abstract:

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major public health concern in many countries across the globe. It is estimated that about 3% of the world’s population is infected with HCV particularly in resource limited countries. Vertical transmission is among suggested route of transmission. In Tanzania there is limited information regarding the burden of HCV among pregnant women population therefore the risk of transmissions of the newborns is not known.

Objective: This study aimed at determining prevalence and associated factors of Hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in rural areas of Mwanza region.

Methods: Hospital based cross sectional study involving 499 pregnant women was carried out from June to August 2018 at selected three hospitals located in rural areas of Mwanza region. Data was collected by using pre tested data collection tool and blood sample was drawn from each consented participant. The serum was analyzed for antibiotics against HCV by using HCsAg test strip in multipurpose laboratory. Data was analyzed using STATA version 13.0 as per study objectives.

Results: The median age of enrolled women was 25(22-31) years and median gestation age was 25 (IQR: 20-32) weeks. The prevalence of HCV among pregnant women in rural areas of Mwanza was found to be 2 (0.4%, 95% CI: 0.2-0.5). None of the factors was found to be associated with HCV seropositivity among pregnant women in rural areas of Mwanza region.

Conclusion and recommendations: The seroprevalence of HCV among pregnant women in rural areas of Mwanza region is low. These findings support ongoing interventions on the control of sexually transmitted infections.