Assessment of the becoming of HIV infected children in Togo

Abstract

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIv) is a major public health problem. The objective
of the study was to describe the clinical, immunological, therapeutic and progressive characteristics of
children on antiretroviral therapy (HAArT) in Togo. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 870
cases from January 1st, 2001 to December 31st, 2010 in 40 medical care sites in Togo. The study focused
on sociodemographic, clinical, biological and evolutionary data. The median age was 5 years with an interval
between 7 weeks and 15 years. WHO clinical stages 3 and 4 were found in 47.60% (870/414) and 12.30%
(870/107), respectively, at the start of treatment. The opportunistic conditions observed at the time of initiation
of antiretroviral therapy (HAArT) in children were mainly: lung diseases (436 cases), cutaneous
(260 cases), oral (151 cases) and diarrhea (140 cases). The mean CD4 count was 485.165 cel / μl with a standard
deviation of 548.248. The 5-year survival rate of the child on HAArT in Togo was 93.81%. Clinical
status remains an important criterion for antiretroviral screening and ArT in the african pediatric setting.
Special emphasis should be placed on provider-initiated testing counseling in health centers in Togo for
the early care of infected children.