Abstract:

Background: HBVI has been increasingly a global health burden. It carries many complications and its highly infectious disease through contact with body fluids such as blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions. A previous study done in Côte d’Ivoire reported that students’ awareness of the HBVI was found to be inadequate and superficial. WHO estimates that in 2021, 325 million people were living with hepatitis infection, which is an increase from 257 million people living with HBVI in 2015. In 2015 HBVI resulted in 887000 deaths, mostly from liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Tanzania is regarded to be hyperendemic country. A study done at Dar es Salam, showed a seroprevalence of HBVI to be 6% in a general population of Dar es salaam. This rate has increased from older studies that reported the prevalence of 4.4% in the same population.

Objective: the study aimed to assess awareness about hepatitis B viral infection and hepatitis B vaccination among high school students at Nyamagana district in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Methodology: cross sectional study design. Was carried among high school students in two selected high schools Pamba secondary school and Mwanza secondary school, this schools comprise of boys and girls. The schools are located in Nyamagana district in Mwanza, Tanzania. The study was conducted in period two month, from October 2021 to December 2021. Students who consented were given questionnaires, Data obtained were entered and, analyzed by SPSS version 20.

Results: This study has shown majority of high school students 82.5% had adequate awareness about HBVI, majority 73.3% had adequate awareness about risk factors that may lead to acquisition of HBVI, and majority of students 59.6% had inadequate awareness about HBV. The main source of information was mass media.

Conclusion: This study results showed majority of high school students in Nyamagana district, have adequate awareness of HBVI in terms of infectivity, mode of transmission and complication of HBVI, also awareness of risk factors for acquisition of HBVI were adequately known, however there is inadequate awareness about HBV and its accessibility in Tanzania.