ABSTRACT
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a highly infectious blood-borne virus (BBV) responsible for acute and chronic hepatitis B (HB) infections of the liver resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality in Sub- Saharan Africa. In a hospital setting transmission of HBV can be from patient to patient, which presents the greatest risk, followed by patient to HCW and lastly HCW to patient infections. This study determines Hepatitis B virus among Healthcare givers in Gwagwalada, Nigeria. Methods: This is a prospective cross sectional study which spanned two months (March-May 2016). The study population comprises of staffs of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and hospital identification card was used to screen the staff. A total of Two hundred (200) healthcare providers randomly selected. Results: There were 70 males (35.0%) and 130 females (65.0%) and the male to female ratio (M: F) was 1:2. Among the healthcare givers 16 (22.8%) males were HBV positives to the virus while 37 (28.5%) females were surface antigen HBV positive. The mean age of healthcare givers was 44 years. The overall seropositive to hepatitis B virus among healthcare workers in Abuja was 26.5%. Conclusion: Prevalence of Hepatitis B virus is high among health care workers. Healthcare givers should know their status in order to avoid transmission to their patients and families alike