Abstract

MOIANE, A; CHONGO, A E; CUCO, M N  and  FAIELA, C. HIV prevalence among HIV-exposed infants participating in a programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission at Albazine Health Centre in Maputo. S. Afr. j. child health [online]. 2020, vol.14, n.4, pp.171-173. ISSN 1999-7671.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAJCH.2020.v14i4.1694.

BACKGROUND. In 2002, Mozambique introduced an inclusive and complete programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, comprising several components of continuous healthcare. OBJECTIVES. To describe HIV infection rates in HIV-exposed children participating in a PMTCT programme. METHODS. The study comprised the retrospective collection of data of10 097 pregnant women and 2 269 HIV-exposed infants who attended the Albazine Health Centre in Maputo, Mozambique, between 2012 and 2015. Descriptive statistics were used to present HIV prevalence and compliance with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnant women, as well as HIV prevalence in infants at the ages of 1 month and between 9 and 18 months. RESULTS. HIV testing coverage in pregnant women ranged from 84% in 2012 to 97% in 2015. HIV prevalence in pregnant women decreased from 16.7% in 2012 to 9.1% in 2015. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing coverage in 1-month-old infants ranged from 62% in 2013 to 76% in 2015. Positive PCR results ranged from 4.4% in 2012 to 1.5% in 2015. The HIV prevalence in children between 9 and 18 months of age reached 6.8% in 2015. The HIV infection rate was lower (5.6%) among children who were exclusively breastfed than in those who received formula feeds (20.6%) or mixed feeding (29%). CONCLUSION. Despite improvements in ART coverage, HIV prevalence in infants remains a cause of concern. Further studies should include following up mother-infant pairs to obtain a more accurate picture of ART adherence and infant feeding outcomes.

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