Evaluation of Iraq's national plan for hepatitis B control: identifying gaps and strategies for improvement.
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health & Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. [email protected].
- 2Epidemiology Section, Department of Public Health, Directorate of Wasit Health, Ministry of Health, Wasit, Iraq. [email protected].
- 3Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health & Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 4Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Research Network, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Environment, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 5Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine in Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq.
- 6Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine in Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq.
- 7Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health & Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a significant public health challenge in Iraq, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation of the national hepatitis B control plan. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological trends of HBV in Iraq from 2015 to 2022 and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the national control plan.Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using national HBV surveillance data from all available Iraqi governorates between 2015 and 2022. The program evaluation component was performed in Wasit Governorate and included 24 randomly selected primary health care centers (PHCCs). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests were performed using SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel.Results
The annual HBV incidence rate declined from 8.3 to 3.5 per 100,000 population between 2015 and 2022, with consistently higher incidence rates among males and marked geographic variation across governorates. The highest incidence rates were observed among individuals aged 15-45 years and those aged > 45 years. Childhood hepatitis B vaccination coverage exceeded the national target by 2022; however, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HBV diagnosis coverage remained below target levels. Evaluation of PHCC performance showed that 88% achieved acceptable evaluation scores, although substantial variability in performance was observed across facilities.Conclusion
This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of Iraq's national hepatitis B control plan, demonstrating declining incidence rates alongside important demographic and geographic disparities. Although vaccination coverage has improved substantially, important gaps remain in HBV diagnosis, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and PHCC performance. These findings provide evidence to guide targeted interventions, strengthen health service delivery, and inform future policy decisions aimed at advancing hepatitis B control in Iraq.
Related
- Spatial epidemiology of hepatitis C in Khenchela Province, Algeria: identifying HCV incidence hotspots and implications for regional public health
- Exploring caregivers’ perspectives and anticipated acceptance of hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination before the national introduction in Sierra Leone: a qualitative study
- Mixed-Methods Analysis of a National Survey of Hospitals With Inpatient Hepatitis C Treatment Initiatives
- Hepatitis C screening strategies and linkage-to-care approaches in U.S. emergency departments: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Established Versus Novel Strategies for Hepatitis B Functional Cure: A Cross-Regional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pegylated Interferon and Bepirovirsen Add-on Therapy
BibTeX
@article{jalal2026evaluation,
title = {{Evaluation of Iraq's national plan for hepatitis B control: identifying gaps and strategies for improvement.}},
author = {Mohammed A Jalal and Manoochehr Karami and Mahshid Namdari and Faris Lami and Taqi Mohammed Jwad Taher and Koorosh Etemad},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28782-3},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958177},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Evaluation of Iraq's national plan for hepatitis B control: identifying gaps and strategies for improvement.
AU - Mohammed A Jalal
AU - Manoochehr Karami
AU - Mahshid Namdari
AU - Faris Lami
AU - Taqi Mohammed Jwad Taher
AU - Koorosh Etemad
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28782-3
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958177
AB - Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a significant public health challenge in Iraq, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation of the national hepatitis B control plan. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological trends of HBV in Iraq from 2015 to 2022 and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the national control plan.Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using national HBV surveillance data from all available Iraqi governorates between 2015 and 2022. The program evaluation component was performed in Wasit Governorate and included 24 randomly selected primary health care centers (PHCCs). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests were performed using SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel.Results The annual HBV incidence rate declined from 8.3 to 3.5 per 100,000 population between 2015 and 2022, with consistently higher incidence rates among males and marked geographic variation across governorates. The highest incidence rates were observed among individuals aged 15-45 years and those aged > 45 years. Childhood hepatitis B vaccination coverage exceeded the national target by 2022; however, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HBV diagnosis coverage remained below target levels. Evaluation of PHCC performance showed that 88% achieved acceptable evaluation scores, although substantial variability in performance was observed across facilities.Conclusion This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of Iraq's national hepatitis B control plan, demonstrating declining incidence rates alongside important demographic and geographic disparities. Although vaccination coverage has improved substantially, important gaps remain in HBV diagnosis, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and PHCC performance. These findings provide evidence to guide targeted interventions, strengthen health service delivery, and inform future policy decisions aimed at advancing hepatitis B control in Iraq.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -