Abstract:

AIDS is a pandemic. Over 90% of HIV infections in children less than 15 years are as a result of Mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) and more than 90% of MTCT occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Several strategies have been developed to reduce HIV infections in children, with variable successes. We aimed to understand factors influencing the infant HIV positivity at the operational level of the Cameroonian health system.

We carried out a prospective and descriptive study that lasted one year. We followed mother-baby (Zero to 18months) pairs enrolled in PMTCT program in Biyem-Assi and Efoulan district hospitals. We addressed questionnaire and structured interviews to mothers and their caregivers to answer research questions. Data were recorded on excel, and analyzed using SPSS version 23. The Chi square was used to analyze the effect of the level of the education, marital status of the mother on the seropositivity of the exposed child.

We recruited 113 HIV exposed children out of which 111 (98.23%) had early infant diagnosis. 7 over 111 children (6.30%) were tested positive, and most of them had low socio-economic situation. We found an association between the sites of the PCR analysis with the sero-status of the HIV- exposed child.

EID is acceptable in these two health facilities and seropositivity of the child is found mostly among women with low socio-economic status (jobless). Better strategies should increase the family sensitization during perinatal period, to reduce the related cost of EID, and the long waiting time.

Keywords: MTCT, District Hospital, Factors, HIV.

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