Publication

Cost-effectiveness of birth-dose hepatitis B vaccination among refugee populations in the African region: a series of case studies

Authored by:

Reardon JM, O'Connor SM, Njau JD et al.

Full Citation:

Reardon JM, O'Connor SM, Njau JD et al. 2019. Cost-effectiveness of birth-dose hepatitis B vaccination among refugee populations in the African region: a series of case studies. Conflict and Health. 13(5).

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Vaccination is a cost-effective approach to prevent illness in high risk populations and in fragile settings.

Key Evidence: Providing a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns (in addition to routine HepB immunization) was found to be a highly cost-effective means of preventing hepatitis B-related deaths in three refugee populations in Africa which are at extremely high risk of hepatitis B infection. Providing a birth dose only to newborns whose mothers test positive on a rapid diagnostic test was less cost-effective than vaccinating all newborns automatically. Thus, universal hepatitis B vaccination of newborns should remain a priority in refugee camps, despite competing humanitarian needs.

Children living in humanitarian crisis settings can be protected from the disproportionately high burden of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Key Evidence: Adding a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to routine immunization of refugees in Africa — who have particularly high infection rates — is a highly cost-effective means of reducing transmission of the infection thus strengthening the overall global health security among these mobile, vulnerable populations.