Article by: Tendai Mamvura, Zengeza CRS Administrator
31 July 2025
Dr Patricia F Mandima (far right), at the inaugural ministerial Tripple Elimination of HIV, HBV & Syphilis in Africa conference held in Kampala, Uganda
The Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine received first regulatory approval in 1981, with Zimbabwe initiating infant immunization in 1996 as part of its public health strategy. By the year 2000, national HBV vaccine coverage had surpassed 80%, marking a significant milestone in disease prevention efforts.
Current literature indicates that immunity conferred by the HBV vaccine persists for at least 20 years and potentially extends throughout the recipient’s lifetime. However, to date, comprehensive lifetime follow-up studies assessing the durability of vaccine-induced immunity in childhood have not been conducted within Sub-Saharan Africa.
Preliminary findings from a study at UZ-CTRC by Dr Patricia F Mandima and others underscore the importance of longitudinal surveillance of the earliest vaccinated cohorts. Such efforts may be critical to informing whether and when booster immunizations might become necessary to sustain protection against HBV across the lifespan to sustain protection against HBV across the lifespan.
Dr Mandima recently presented these results at the inaugural ministerial Tripple Elimination of HIV, HBV & Syphilis in Africa conference held in Kampala, Uganda, contributing to the continental conversations and actions towards the elimination of HBV in Africa.
