The African Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Network: a vaccine advocacy initiative

Achieving high and equitable childhood immunisation coverage in Africa will not only protect children from disability and premature death, it will also boost productivity, reduce poverty and support the economic growth of the continent. Thus, Africa needs innovative and sustainable vaccine advocacy initiatives. One such initiative is the African Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Network, formed in 2009. This association of immunisation practitioners, vaccinologists, paediatricians, and infectious disease experts provides a platform to advocate for the introduction of newly available vaccines (e.g. 10-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines) into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) as well as increased and equitable coverage for established EPI vaccines.Key words: Vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine, network, Africa, awareness, child healt

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B markers in pregnant women in Kenya

Objective: To evaluate hepatitis B serological markers in pregnant women from various geographical sites in Kenya.Design: A cross-sectional observational study of women attending antenatal clinics.Setting: The Kenyatta National Hospital and eight hospitals from five provinces in Kenya.Subjects: All women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal clinic over the period June 2001 to June 2002.Main outcome measures: For each pregnant woman age and gestation were documented. Hepatitis serological markers were evaluated.Results: A total of 2,241 pregnant women were enrolled. Among them 205 women (9.3%) were positive for HbsAg and from these 18 (8.8%) were found to have HbeAg. Protective antibodies (anti-HbsAg) were detected in 669 (30.2%) of the women. There were notable significant regionaldifferences for HbsAg rates.Conclusions: These results confirm the presence of high disease carrier rate and the corresponding previously reported low level of HbeAg suggesting questionable low rate of perinatal transmission but high rate of horizontal transmission

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B markers in pregnant women in Kenya

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