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Trends of HIV Seropositivity among Blood Donors over Six Years Period (1995-2000) in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia


Tefera Belachew
Solomon Gebre-Selassie

Abstract

Background: Since few years back HIV/AIDS has become a threat to global
development. Developing countries especially those in the sub-Saharan area are highly victimized by the tolls of its morbidity and mortality. Circumstantial evidences and reports from sentinel studies indicate that the problem is progressing from time to time. However, there is no adequate information in Ethiopia as to what the trend of the infection looks like in healthy population over a period of time. The objective of this study was to determine the trend of HIV positivity among blood donors at the Jimma Hospital Blood Bank. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out among blood donors during the period of January 1995 to December 2000 at Jimma hospital blood bank, Jimma zone, Southwest of Oromiya, to determine the trend of HIV seropositivity and associated factors. All subjects who donated their blood at Jimma hospital blood bank during the specified period were included in the study. Data on socio-demographic variables, and serologic status of the subjects were abstracted from their records using structured questionnaire. The data were cleaned edited and entered in to computer and analysis was done using SPSS version 7.5. Results: A total of 3394 subjects donated blood over the last six years, 3020 were male and 360 were female. The prevalence of seropositivity tended to decrease from 1995 some how until 1999 and started to rise in 2000 this difference in the prevalence of seropositivity was statistically significant (P<0.05). The study revealed that 189 (5.6%) donors were positive for HIV upon screening by ELISA method. The sex specific prevalence of HIV infection was 9.3% for females and 5.8% for males. This difference in the sex specific prevalence of HIV infection was statistically significant (P=0.002, OR = 0.565, 95%CI =0.395-0.810). There is also a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of HIV infection along the years (P =0.003). The age specific prevalence is highest in the age group of 18-30 followed by that of the age group of 31-40 as compared to other age groups, this difference was statistically significant (P =0.028). Single subjects showed the highest (5.8%) prevalence followed by Married ones (5.6%), the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Pertaining the literacy status, the highest prevalence (7.2%) was observed in those subjects who attended Junior secondary and high school followed by those who attended grades 1-6(5.4%), the difference was not statistically significant (P<0.05). Seropositivity was higher(6.9%) among Christians as compared to Muslims (4.1%) and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.001, OR =1.68, 95%CI=1.25-1.27). Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, appropriate recommendations were made.

Ethiop J Health Sci Vol. 11, No. 2 July 2001

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eISSN: 2413-7170
print ISSN: 1029-1857