Use of existing data for public health planning: a study of the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and core antibody in Al Ain Medical District, United Arab Emirates

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 78; no. 11; pp. 1324 - 1329
• Main Authors: AL-OWAIS, A, AL-SUWAIDI, K, AMIRI, N, CARTER, A. O, HOSSAIN, M. M, SHEEK-HUSSEIN, M. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 01.11.2000; World Health Organization; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: adolescence; Adolescent; Adult; Analysis; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Community Health Planning; Databases, Factual; Demographic aspects; Female; Health planning; Health Policy & Services; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; hepatitis B core antigens; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; hepatitis B surface antigens; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance - methods; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Tropical medicine; United Arab Emirates; United Arab Emirates - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Asia; United Emirates; United Arab Emirates; Human; Hepatitis B antigen; Prevalence; Antibody; National planning; Biological marker; Hepatic disease; Infection; Viral hepatitis B; Prevention; Health policy; Viral disease; Adolescent; Database; Digestive diseases; Public health; databases; hepatitis B surface antigens; prevalence; hepatitis B; hepatitis B core antigens; adolescence; United Arab Emirates; health planning
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.1590/S0042-96862000001100007

Hepatitis B is of major public health importance. Accurate information on its occurrence, with particular reference to the prevalence of immunity and chronic infection (marked by the presence of hepatitis B core antibody and surface antigen, respectively, in serum), is essential for planning public health programmes for the control of the disease. The generation of marker prevalence data through serological surveys is costly and time-consuming. The present study in Al Ain Medical District, United Arab Emirates, investigated the possibility of obtaining sufficiently accurate marker prevalence estimates from existing data to plan public health programmes. Two antenatal screening databases, one student serological survey database, one immunization programme database and one pre-marriage screening database containing information on marker prevalence were identified. Epidemiological data were abstracted from these databases and analysed. The data showed that the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and the prevalence of core antibody in young citizens in 1998 were approximately 2% and 14% respectively, that any immunization campaign aimed at citizens of the United Arab Emirates should target teenagers as they had the highest risk of acquiring the disease, and that pre-immunization screening of young adults would be wasteful. However, the data did not yield information on the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and core antibody in other population subgroups of public health significance. While data generated by the study are sufficient to support a hepatitis B immunization programme targeted at teenaged citizens, more accurate data, generated by a well-designed serological survey, would be essential for optimal public health planning.