Phuong Vo*, a pregnant woman from Nghe An province in Vietnam, was diagnosed with hepatitis B just before going into labor. Not only she got very worried about the news, but most importantly she was extremely concerned for her child’s health, as she learned from her doctor that newborns of hepatitis B-positive mothers are at high risk of contracting the virus during or shortly after birth. Fortunately, her doctor gave her newborn the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG within 12 hours of birth, effectively preventing the transmission of the infection from mother to child, also known as “vertical transmission.”
Today, Phuong Vo is a proud mother of a healthy baby, and she is undergoing treatment to prevent liver cancer and cirrhosis, which can arise from chronic hepatitis B infection.
Phuong Vo is one of the 2,700 women who, between July 2022 and June 2023, discovered their hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis status thanks to a three-year grant project implemented by our grantee PATH in Vietnam.
Each year, more than 180,000 newborns in the Asia-Pacific region contract hepatitis B, 13,000 contract syphilis, and 1,400 contract HIV through vertical transmission. Thanks to our grant, co-funded by the Ville de Geneve, PATH has introduced a decentralised, integrated model of universal screening for hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis in Nghe An—Vietnam’s largest province by area, with a population exceeding 3.5 million.
Before this project, most healthcare facilities only offered hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis screening in the third trimester or just before delivery, which is often too late to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Now, with the proper training and resources for efficient diagnosis, participating facilities have screened over 93% of women in their first or second trimester.
The project was life-saving in Phuong Vo’s case and many other cases. The evidence generated from the project in Nghe An will contribute to building a strong foundation for advocating for universal access to hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis screening and care.
*Client’s name has been changed to protect their privacy.
Eliminating vertical transmission of hepatitis B in Vietnam
Grantee: PATH
This project, implemented by PATH in collaboration with Nghe An Province CDC and with support from the City of Geneva, aims to demonstrate the impact of introducing screening and treatment of hepatitis B in pregnant women within the Maternal and Child Healthcare system as part of Vietnam’s 2030 triple elimination goal (HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B).
A health care worker speaks with a client about HBV, HIV, and syphilis at Dong Hieu Commune health station in Thai Hoa Town. Photo credit: Ha Nguyen/PATH.
