The Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus among Blood Donors in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

Author(s):

Mohammad H Nagoor* and Hamed A Adetunji

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a worldwide health problem, and it is important to screen blood for this disease. Here we evaluate the prevalence of HBV among blood donors. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors in Saudi Arabia (KSA). Method: This study uses a systematic review technique to determine the prevalence of HBV among blood donors in KSA. The review included studies published in the past 17 years that have reported the prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors in KSA. Results: We present the prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors. We found that reported prevalence ranges from 0.33% to 3.8% and is lower than in the general population (7%–10%). The largest proportion of donors positive for HBV was in Jazan region (3.8%) in 2012, and the lowest was in Taif City in the west region (0.33%) in 2017. Conclusion & Recommendations: Our study suggests that the prevalence of HBV among blood donors is not higher than the prevalence in the general population in KSA. This shows the need for continued universal vaccination of all children for HBV and high-risk adults. The development of policies to prevent mother-to-child transmission should also be considered. This work will be useful for planning interim national control strategies in KSA to combat HBV infection, as well as providing a robust basis for ultimately organizing HBV national prevalence surveys and control measures.