Dear all,
Thank you very much for organizing this remarkable week, which has brought global attention to Group B Streptococcus (GBS).
1. My personal and professional experience with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease
As a medical microbiologist, educator, and researcher, I have observed that GBS is an important but neglected cause of neonatal sepsis in Ethiopia. Limited awareness, weak laboratory capacity, and the absence of routine screening and national guidelines result in missed opportunities for prevention.
Improvement strategies: Increase awareness, strengthen laboratory capacity, and introduce national GBS screening and prevention guidelines.
2. What is the situation of GBS in Ethiopia?
The burden of GBS in Ethiopia is likely underestimated due to limited surveillance and diagnostic services. Routine antenatal screening is unavailable, neonatal infections are rarely confirmed microbiologically, and national data on GBS and antimicrobial resistance are scarce. For instance, a 2020 Ethiopian study demonstrated the significant public health burden of GBS: 5 of 46 (10.9%) GBS-positive infants died, with most deaths occurring in late-onset GBS disease (LOGBS). PCR also detected GBS in 64% of culture-negative cerebrospinal fluid samples, highlighting the need for improved diagnostics and prevention strategies.
Suggested solution: Establish national surveillance, improve laboratory diagnosis, and integrate GBS screening into existing antenatal care would be cost-effective.
3. How can we reduce the burden of GBS disease?
Reducing GBS requires collaboration among governments, healthcare providers, researchers, and communities. Priorities include public awareness, routine maternal screening where feasible, timely intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), improved surveillance, health worker training, and support for maternal GBS vaccine introduction when available.
Strategies: Develop a national GBS prevention program through multisectoral collaboration.
4. What do parents need to know about GBS?
Parents should know that GBS is a common bacterium carried by many healthy women without symptoms. It can be transmitted during childbirth and cause severe infections in newborns, but early detection and treatment can save lives.
Mechanisms for improvement: Educate families during antenatal and post-natal care about GBS, its warning signs, and when to seek immediate medical attention.
5. What do healthcare workers need to know about GBS?
Healthcare workers should recognize GBS as a major cause of neonatal infection as they are the frontlines in the healthcare systems. Maternal screening, timely intrapartum antibiotics for eligible mothers, accurate diagnosis, and proper reporting are essential for preventing early-onset disease.
Suggested strategies: Incorporate GBS prevention, diagnosis, and management into routine healthcare worker training and clinical guidelines as it is done for HIV, TB, malaria, etc.
6. What are the common myths about GBS?
Common myths include that GBS is a sexually transmitted infection, affects only unhygienic women, or can be prevented by hygiene alone. However, GBS commonly colonizes healthy women, is often asymptomatic, and requires evidence-based prevention strategies.
Mechanism of improvement: Conduct public education campaigns to correct misconceptions and promote evidence-based GBS prevention.
Best!
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Sincerely,
Mucheye Gizachew (BSc, MSc, PhD)
Head, Department of Medical Microbiology, SBMLS, CMHS, UoG
Associate Editor, Journal of Disability CBR & Inclusive Development
DAAD (Germany) In-Country Scholarship Fellow
Visiting Research Scholar at CDC, Atlanta, Georgia USA
Tele: +251-0581117678; Fax:+251-0581111479; P. O. Box: 196
Mobile: 251(0)910139535
Email: muchegiza@gmail.com (muchiye888@yahoo.com)
Official (Institution) email: mucheye.WWW.uog.edu.et <http://www.uog.edu.et/>
gizachew@uog.edu.etn=1456; h-index=21; & i10-index=27
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mucheye-gizachew-9a754b4a; ORCID ID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3754-2618
Research / Citation Metrics: Citatio00-0002-3754-2618
Scopus Author ID: 55123088900
Web of Science Researcher ID: MVU-5532-2025.
HIFA profile: Mucheye Gizachew Beza is an instructor, researcher and community service provider at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. By profession, he is a Medical Microbiologist with academic backgrounds in Nursing and Biological Sciences. His professional and research interests focus on Group B Streptococcus (GBS), maternal and neonatal infectious disease prevention, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) focusing on One Health Approach, public health microbiology, biosafety and biosecurity, disease surveillance, and health education. He is particularly committed to advancing community awareness, strengthening public health interventions, and promoting evidence-based strategies to improve maternal and child health outcomes. His work aims to bridge research, education, and public health practice to address emerging infectious disease challenges and enhance healthcare quality and safety. Email address: muchegiza AT gmail.com