Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, is a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases working to improve maternal and infant health through quality preventive measures against HBV and other vaccine-preventable infectious diseases.
In a systematic review estimating the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in pregnant women and vertical transmission events in the region, Dr. Thompson and researchers showed vertical transmission is an important contributor to HBV transmission in the WHO African region. The study was published in the Lancet Global Health, calling for an urgent scaling up of hepatitis B birth dose vaccination and antiviral prophylaxis which could achieve elimination of vertical transmission.