Pediatric HIV Infection in Togo: Situation of Child Care in the Central Region from 2008 to 2015

摘要

style="text-align:justify;"> This piece of work covers thirteen (13) AIDS assistance programs sites over the period 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2015. The study is retrospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional based on 292 clinical cases of HIV infected children aged between 0 and 14 years old. A regional committee was charged to validate antiretroviral treatment (ART) prescriptions on a weekly basis. We have also used data from the regional committee register. HIV infected children represent 5.1% of casework on ART. The average starting age for ART was 4.5 years (1 - 180 months) with a sex ratio (Male/Female) of 0.9. The clinical classifications according to WHO guidelines were: Stage III (52.3%) and Stage IV (20.3%). The most frequent opportunistic infections were: wasting (40.12%), digestive candida infection (29.0%), acute respiratory infections (22.8%) and skin diseases (17.9%). The HIV type 1 was detected on all of the children (100%). The average rate of CD4 at the beginning of the ART was 552.98 cells/mm3, leading to a severe immuno-suppression in many cases (44.8%). The initial ART was essentially NEVIRAPINE + LAMIVUDINE + STAVUDINE. HIV infections diagnosis are usually late in the Central Region of Togo and will therefore be improved by the UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategic plan by 2020, through various initiatives. These are: the Prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT), the Early Infection Diagnosis (EID) based on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and the Provider Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC).