Ratio of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viral infection in pregnant women of Haripur KPK, Pakistan

AIM: To evaluate the frequency of viral infections by Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the group of pregnant women in Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODS: The study was conducted prospectively, from October 2015 to December 2016. A total 360 samples collected from pregnant women from the region of Haripur. Samples were subjected to high speed centrifugation to collect plasma. Immunochromatographic (ICT) technique was utilized to screen the samples. RESULTS: In this study total of 2.22% of women were infected with HCV and 1.67% of pregnant women were infected with HBV. CONCLUSION: HCV infection was found to be higher than HBV infection in pregnant women in Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The frequency of HCV was higher in younger women compared to older women, demonstrating the importance of education and increasing awareness in adolescents.