Utilization of Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV Infection and Associated Factors in Western Ethiopia: Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Due to high risk of death before two years of age among HIV increasing availability of pediatric antiretroviral treatments, World Health recommends early HIV testing for all exposed infants to the virus. This study assessed utilization of and associated factors with early infant diagnosis of HIV among HIV exposed infants and young children. We conducted a cross 30 in 2014 in the Western Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The study included four weeks to eighteen months aged HIV exposed infants and children and mother pairs enrolled in Anti retroviral Treatment (ART) or Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) clinics at 27 health facilities. We carried out bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses using SPSS 16.0 software to assess the presence and degree of association between dependent and independent variables using odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals. A P-value < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance. Of the total 349 infants/mother pairs, included in our study, the proportion of HIV testing among HIV exposed infants/young children was 83.7% with 6 weeks median age for HIV testing. Mothers residing in urban [AOR= 2.92, 95% CI (1.15-[AOR= 3.37, 95% CI (1.38-8.22)], and who disclose their sero [AOR= 3.29 95% CI (1.05-10.29)] were more likely to utilize early HIV infection testing service. Presence of mother support group at the health facility [AOR= 6.55, 95% CI (2.88-14.90)], and early age enrollment of infants to care [AOR= 4.52, 95% CI (2.00 were also significant predictors for testing of HIV exposed infants and young children. Utilization of early infant diagnosis of HIV infection was relatively high among children enrolled in ART and/or PMTCT clinics in studied health facilities when compared t previous literatures. However, there were still a number of (16.3%) HIV exposed infants and young children which were not tested for HIV. Thus adequate counseling of mothers on benefits of HIV sero-status disclosure and early enrollments of HIV exposed i care, and giving attention to rural attendants are needed.