Prevalence of paediatric HIV infection in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Various studies in sub-Saharan Africa have documented high prevalence of HIV infection in children.

To determine the prevalence and outcome of paediatric HIV/AIDS in a new Teaching Hospital in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.

A two year retrospective review of patients attending paediatric outpatient unit of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, was undertaken for the above objective.

Out of a total of 3,669 paediatric patients seen in unit of the hospital, 437(11.9%) tested positive for HIV, 234 were males, while 203 were females (m:f = 1.15:1). Children under the age of five years accounted for 81.7% of the HIV positive children, and mother-to-child transmission was the major route of transmission of HIV in 73.7% of cases. Two other common routes of transmission were the use of blood/ hair dressing implements in 4.8% each, and use of non sterile needle in 3.9%. Most mothers of HIV children were either housewives (45.3%), or petty traders (10.4%), while their fathers were either civil servants (26.5%) or long distance drivers (19.7%). A mortality rate of 3.4% was recorded while 6.0% were lost to follow up.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in children is high in the FCT, Abuja, most of which was through mother-to-child transmission. There is an urgent need to scale up PMTCT programmes to many tertiary, secondary and primary health care facilities across the FCT, and the nation at large in view of the enormous burden of the disease in children. Safe blood for African initiative/techniques should be extended to many health care facilities nationwide, and use of unsterile needles by patent medicine dealers to be prohibited.