Prevalence of Hepatitis B Infection in the Galilee Region, Israel

Primary Aims:

1. Evaluate HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) infection prevalence among Druze in the Galilee.
2. Educate the population in order to reduce transmission
3. Increase awareness among primary care providers

Secondary Aims:

1. Identify chronic HBV infected patients who need to be followed and treated,
2. Identify HBV infected women in a childbearing age
3. Identify non immunized individuals and recommend vaccination
4. Identify previously vaccinated individuals who are not immunized
5. Identify previously vaccinated individuals who became infected

Study Design:

Study population is targeted to native Israeli Druze. We aim for evaluating up to 20,000 people from Druze communities in the Galilee area

This work will be divided into three sections:

1. Increasing awareness: lectures and local events will be taken place in the communities. Written information will be given and primary care-providers mainly family doctors, nurses and obstetric surgeons will be involved.
2. All participants, upon signing a consent will:

• Fill up a questioner
• Checked for weight, height and waist circumflex
• Have a blood sample taken

3. Results and recommendations will be forwarded to all participants