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even months into her pregnancy, Yani Rohaeni, a 23-year-old housewife is becoming more aware of her health. Once a month, she consults a doctor at a community health center, on the possibility of mother-to-child transmission of disease.

“I am worried about my newborn being exposed to a particular disease from me,” Yani told The Jakarta Post.

She is planning to get Tetanus-Toxoid (TT) two immunization later this week, completing an earlier Tetanus vaccination she had in the early weeks of pregnancy. The vaccination will not only protect her against Tetanus during delivery but also make her much less likely to transmit the traditional childhood disease to her newborn.

Tetanus is one of few infectious diseases targeted by preventive measures in the existing Maternal and Child Health Program (KIA). Other diseases include Hepatitis B, which has similar risks of mother-to-child transmission. Since 1997, Hepatitis B immunization has been included in the regular immunization program in the country.

The immunization is proving effective as the prevalence of the Hepatitis B antibody (anti HBs) among children under five continues to rise. They become immune to Hepatitis B virus due to previous infection or the occurrence of Hepatitis B immunoglobulin in the blood. The immune response can also come from vaccination.

The 2007 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) shows that the number of Indonesian people with anti-HBs is around 30 percent. The number of children aged 1 to 4 years with anti-HBs is just over 50 percent, making it the group with highest rate of antibodies.

“Regular vaccination against Hepatitis B is hugely effective in preventing the disease,” Rino A. Gani, a hepatologist from University of Indonesia’s School of Medicine said Friday.

Despite regular Hepatitis B vaccination, first introduced in 1997, the prevalence of Hepatitis B Antigens — an indicator of infection — among Indonesian aged 1 to 4 years stands at 7.32 percent, which is considered high.

The 2007 Riskesdas shows that Hepatitis B virus infection all among Indonesian people stands at 32.8 percent.

“Hepatitis B infection can affect people of all ages. As people get older, they are more likely be exposed to Hepatitis B infection than young people,” said Rino, who chairs the Indonesian Association for the Study of the Liver (PPHI).

According to the Health Ministry, about 25 million people in Indonesia are infected with Hepatitis B and C and 50 percent of total Hepatitis-infected patients suffer from chronic liver disease. Furthermore, about 1.25 million or 10 percent of patients with chronic liver disease have the potential to suffer from liver cancer.

The Health Ministry’s director for infectious disease control, Mohammad Subuh, said Hepatitis remained a critical problem in Indonesia. Pregnant women were considered to have a great risk of contracting the disease and transmitting it to their newborns.

“Many Indonesian people become infected with the viral infection, mainly through mother to child transmission,” he said.