PriMera Scientific Medicine and Public Health (ISSN: 2833-5627)

Review Article

Volume 5 Issue 1

Retention in Care At 36 Months of Children Living with Hiv Followed up at The Chantal Biya Foundation Mother and Child Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon

Antoinette Agnes Onguene Bana*, Gabriel Tchatchouang Mabou, Djam Chefor Alain, Francis Ateba Dongo, Bita Andre Izacar Gael and Charles Kouanfack

June 27, 2024

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Abstract

Background: Retaining children in care still remains a real challenge in Africa. In Cameroon, the retention rate among children under 15 years of age remains low. Some reported factors found to be associated with low retention rates were late initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and poor adherence. Our objective was therefore to assess retention at 36 months of paediatric patients on antiretroviral treatment at the day unit of the Mother and Child centre of the Chantal Biya Foundation.

Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a case-control component targeting children aged 0-15 years. Data were collected exhaustively from the 2017 and 2018 cohort follow-up registers, diagnosed positive after the first PCR. Children who had died, been lost to follow-up and transferred to an outpatient department were considered as cases, and any child who was on treatment at the end of the study period was considered as a control. Patient follow-up and the association between independent variables and the occurrence of attrition were estimated.

Results: Data were collected from 260 children (117 from 2017 and 143 from 2018). The prevalence of retention varied according to the relationship with the nursing and patient characteristics. Orphans [OR=9.75 IC95%=(4.06-10.37) P=0.01], mothers poor adherence with therapeutic education [2.52, IC95%=(1.78-3.37) P=0.001] and immunosuppression [OR=9.10 IC95%=(4.06-10.37) ;P=0.03] were found to be significantly associated with poor retention of the childs. The main reasons given by caregiver for poor adherence to therapeutic education were discrimination 10 (27.78%),the child’s schooling 8 (22.22%) , puberty 9 (25%) and self-transfers 9 (25%).

Conclusion: The retention rate of children put on ARV remains worrying, at more than a third of patients. The factors associated with poor retention were mothers poor adherence with therapeutic education, immunosuppression and orphanhood.

Keywords: Retention; Children 0-15 years; Mother and Child Centre; Chantal Biya Foundation; Yaounde

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