Incidence of HIV at first PCR testing among infants born to HIV positive mothers in Kumasi

Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a major global strategy to reduce the incidence of new infections. Serological confirmation of HIV in children born to HIV positive mothers required testing at 18 months of age and was associated with parental anxiety and high risk of drop-out.  The Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV using Polymerase Chain Reaction has resulted in a major shift in diagnosing HIV in infants and provided an opportunity to offer comprehensive care to the HIV-exposed child.  We analyze EID the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana from 2011 to 2013.

Twenty-two (4.17%) infants were confirmed HIV positive by PCR out of a total of 527 HIV-exposed babies. The proportion of HIV positive infants was uniformly distributed by sex, 4.21% males and females 4.24% with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. About a third of children born to mothers not on any form of treatment were HIV positive compared with 2.5% and 0.6% for children born to women on HAART and ARV Prophylaxis respectively. Children delivered in KATH were less likely to be HIV positive compared with those delivered outside KATH (OR= 0.23; p= 0.03). No association was found between the mode of delivery and HIV status of infant.  

Children born to women on antiretrovirals during pregnancy are less likely to be HIV positive. Achieving zero infections in children born to HIV positive mothers is possible. There are lessons to be learnt from the KATH programme to help achieve this.