Objective: To evaluate the point prevalence of Hepatitis B in India.
Design: Meta-analysis of data on point prevalence from different parts of the country.
Data sources: Searches were made in Medline, Cochrane Library and Best bets and previous reviews. A limited hand search of cross references was also done. Finally a consultation with experts was held to enlarge the references base.
Review methods: Studies reporting prevalence of HBsAg were selected. Data from high risk groups were excluded.
Main results: 54 papers reporting data on 61 populations were identified. The true prevalence for each study was calculated from the reported prevalence using the specificity and sensitivity of the test employed. The true prevalence in non-tribal populations is 2.4% (95% CI: 2.2%-2.7%). True prevalence among tribal populations is 15.9% (CI: 11.4%-20.4%).
Conclusion: These figures may be useful in estimation of the burden of the disease in the country and for projecting the cost-benefits of immunization.