{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T20:25:49Z","timestamp":1791404749305,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757030400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: In Cameroon, the prevalence of hepatitis B in the general population is 10%, and the vaccination coverage is less than 15% among adults. Although 80% have heard about the disease, only 50% know the modes of transmission and prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV).\n\nAim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), sensitise the population and identify new cases of hepatitis B.\n\nSetting: Rural and urban areas of the Centre and South West Regions in Cameroon.\n\nMethods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out from 2021 to 2023 on the general population to determine the HBV, seroprevalence and assess awareness of hepatitis B. We used modified Bloom\u2019s cutoff to define KAP categories.\n\nResults: Seven hundred and fifty-nine and 456 persons gave consent to participate in the KAP and sero-surveys, respectively. About 20.4% (n = 155\/759) of participants had never heard of hepatitis B. Among the 604 participants who had heard, 52.2% (n = 315\/604) did not know at least one transmission route. However, 56.8% (n = 343\/604) knew the hepatitis B vaccine, yet the vaccination coverage was 5.1% (n = 39\/759). Furthermore, 69.5% (n = 420\/604) had been tested at least once, 71.0% (n = 429\/604) had inadequate knowledge and 68.7% (n = 415\/604) had unfavourable practices. An association was observed between knowledge and practice, with an odds ratio of 4.1. HBV seroprevalence was 8.3%.\n\nConclusion: Poor knowledge and lack of access to reliable information enhance the spread of hepatitis B. This propagation could be mitigated through sensitisation, voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) to identify new cases.\n\nContribution: Highlights community-engaging initiatives to sensitise, test, prevent and treat hepatitis B.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/jphia.v16i1.1268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]],"date-time":"2025-09-03T14:46:36Z","timestamp":1756910796000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Strengthening community engagement in the fight against hepatitis B in two regions of Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-5602-2329","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Solange Neh Manju","family":"Atah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/022zbs961","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Yaound\u00e9 I"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-2379-6688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nadege Goumkwa","family":"Mafopa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9659-0049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cindy","family":"Lobe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03gq1d339","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Ngaound\u00e9r\u00e9"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6569-3950","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juliette-Laure N.","family":"Ndzie Ondigui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/022zbs961","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Yaound\u00e9 I"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8381-6623","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jude S.Y.","family":"Atah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3544-1239","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph Nelson Siewe","family":"Fodjo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4138-0399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patrick","family":"Awoumou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/022zbs961","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Yaound\u00e9 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Gt Britain Journals Press. 2024;24(4):53\u201367."}],"container-title":["Journal of Public Health in Africa"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]],"date-time":"2025-09-03T14:46:48Z","timestamp":1756910808000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publichealthinafrica.org\/index.php\/jphia\/article\/view\/1268"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]]},"references-count":29,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/jphia.v16i1.1268","relation":{},"ISSN":["2038-9922","2038-9930"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2038-9922","type":"print"},{"value":"2038-9930","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]]},"article-number":"a1268"}}