AEGiS-14IAC: Prevalence of HIV antibodies in children in rural Tanzania and association with anaemia.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Prevalence of HIV antibodies in children in rural Tanzania and association with anaemia.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. B10217)

Nabwera HM, Hills E
Nottingham University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

BACKGROUND: Teule hospital is a district designated hospital situated in the north eastern part of Tanzania, in East Africa. In addition to other health services, it provides extensive Paediatric services with over 20 admissions per day to the children's wards. The number of malaria deaths in children admitted to the hospital has been rising over the past 5 years, majority of whom were anaemic; and it had been hypothesised that HIV infection was contributing to this increasing mortality. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of HIV antibodies in children admitted to the hospital and determine the association between anaemia and HIV antibody status.

METHOD: Blood samples routinely taken on admission to estimate the haemoglobin (Hb) level were screened for for antiboies to HIV1 or 2 using the Capillus testing kit from ECHO International. The Hb levels were measured using an electrical machine. The demograhpic data was written on the Hb request forms by the nursing staff. Ethical approval was obtained from the Muhimbili University College for Health Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

RESULTS: HIV antibody status, Hb level and complete demographic data were for available 172/177 children (86 boys and 86 girls). The age range was 3 weeks- 13 years. The overall prevalence of HIV antibodies in the children was 16% (27/145). Majority of the children were anaemic 97.7% (168/172) In the univariate analysis there as no association between HIV antibody status and gender (p=0.94), infancy (p=0.74) or degree of anaemia (Linear-by-linear association, p=0.75).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HIV antibodies in children in rural Tanzania is relatively high. There was no association between HIV and anaemia, as anaemia is endemic in children in this part of Africa. This is probably due to the fact that malaria and undernutrion are endemic in this population and is a significant cause of mortality in children independent of HIV.

Keywords: AEGIS, Tanzania, Prevalence, HIV Antibodies, Anemia, HIV Infections, Hemoglobins, HIV Seropositivity, Malaria, Mass Screening, Africa, Child, Human, Male, Female, epidemiology, immunologyKWDaegis,tanzania,prevalence,hivantibodies,anemia,hivinfections,hemoglobins,hivseropositivity,malaria,massscreening,africa,child,human,male,female,epidemiology,immunology

020707
B10217

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.