Incident and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among patients attending a teaching hospital in South Western Nigeria

Abstract

Young people, ages 15–24, account for approximately 40% of new HIV infections (among those 15 and over). Globally, young women are twice as likely to become infected with HIV than their male counterparts. As at 2012, UNAIDS revealed that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among adults of ages 15-49 in Nigeria was 5.4%, compared to 7.5% in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.1% globally. This current study was carried out to assess the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among patients attending Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu. This was a retrospective review of 362 medical records of patients obtained from the Community Medicine and Primary Care unit who received antiretroviral treatment between January 2007 and December 2009. The parameters assessed were demographic characteristics, prevalence and incidence of HIV/AIDS. The results indicated that 61% were females. Of the entire population studied, age range 21-40 years had the highest representations of 41% and 21% respectively for males and females. Respondents (27%) without educational background were highest among the females while those with primary level (13%) were in the majority among the males. Cumulatively, HIV incidence and prevalence were highest in 2007. Among the females, the incidence decreased to 21% and 23% while prevalence increased to 34% and 45% in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The measurement of HIV/AIDS prevalence and incidence in particular could be used to assess impacts of HIV/AIDS interventions and increased assessment of HIV/AIDS occurrence will help to stem the tide of a significant epidemic like this in the future.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Prevalence, Incidence, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 3 (2013)