Epidemiology of Opportunistic Infections in HIV Infected Patients on Treatment in Accredited HIV Treatment Centers in Cameroon

Abstract

Background: The African continent accounts for over 70% of people infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV sero-prevalence rate in Africa is estimated at 4.3%. In developed countries, such as France, pneumocystis is indicative of AIDS in 30% of patients; however, in Africa, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is the most-documented opportunistic infection (OI) and the leading cause of death in HIV-infected patients. In 2016, Cameroon had 32,000 new cases of OI and 29,000 deaths as a result of these infections. However, there is little existing data on the epidemiological profile of OIs in Cameroon, which is why we conducted this study in accredited HIV treatment centers and care/ treatment units in the two cities of Douala and Yaounde, Cameroon. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive and analytical study carried out in 12 accredited HIV treatment centers in the cities of Yaound