Trend of HIV Prevalence in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic at Faith Alive Foundation and Hospital, Jos, Plateau State.

Abstract

Objective: HIV prevalence data from pregnant women who attended Antenatal Care Clinic over a five year period were used in the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programmes and remain useful for Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support of pregnant women and ensuring that the goal of zero transmission is met. It also helped policy makers to take appropriate action in HIV/AIDS programmes. Methodology: A descriptive study of pregnant women presenting for the first time at the antenatal clinic of Faith Alive Foundation and Hospital, Jos from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2014 was carried out. Information regarding age, gestational age at booking, parity and HIV sero status of the clients were analyzed. Screening test was carried out in a serial two step approach using determine and UNIGOLD as the confirmatory test while stat pack was the tie-breaker with discordant result. Positive samples were confirmed by western blot method. Result: A total of 1720 pregnant women were registered in the antenatal unit of Faith Alive Foundation and Hospital, Jos from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2014. 120 were sero positive. The overall HIV prevalence rate was 6.9%. High prevalence rate were observed in those aged 20-39 years. There was a decline in HIV prevalence from 10.7% in 2010 to 6.8% in 2013 and 5.8% in 2014. Majority of the sero positive women booked early in pregnancy, within the 1st and 2nd trimesters from 77.8% in 2010 to 80% in 2014. Conclusion: A decline in HIV prevalence was observed during the five year period. The study also revealed that significant number of HIV positive antenatal women registered for antenatal care early. The overall HIV sero prevalence is still high. There is need to astronomically scale up our intervention approach against HIV infection.