26 research outputs found
PLoS Med
No full textBackgroundThe effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the survival of HIV-infected children has not been well quantified. Because most pediatric HIV occurs in low- and middle-income countries, our objective was to provide a first estimate of this effect among children living in a resource-deprived setting.Methods and FindingsObservational data from HAART-na\uefve children enrolled into an HIV care and treatment program in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, between December 2004 and May 2010 were analyzed. We used marginal structural models to estimate the effect of HAART on survival while accounting for time-dependent confounders affected by exposure. At the start of follow-up, the median age of the 790 children was 5.9 y, 528 (66.8%) had advanced or severe immunodeficiency, and 405 (51.3%) were in HIV clinical stage 3 or 4. The children were observed for a median of 31.2 mo and contributed a total of 2,089.8 person-years. Eighty children (10.1%) died, 619 (78.4%) initiated HAART, six (0.8%) transferred to a different care provider, and 76 (9.6%) were lost to follow-up. The mortality rate was 3.2 deaths per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4\u20134.2) during receipt of HAART and 6.0 deaths per 100 person-years (95% CI 4.1\u20138.6) during receipt of primary HIV care only. The mortality hazard ratio comparing HAART with no HAART from a marginal structural model was 0.25 (95% CI 0.06\u20130.95).ConclusionsHAART reduced the hazard of mortality in HIV-infected children in Kinshasa by 75%, an estimate that is similar in magnitude but with lower precision than the reported effect of HAART on survival among children in the United States.Please see later in the article for the Editors' SummaryIn 2009, an estimated 2.5 million children were living with HIV, the majority of whom (2.3 million) were in sub-Saharan Africa. Most (90%) of these children acquired HIV from their HIV-infected mothers during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding, highlighting the importance of giving effective drugs for the prevention of mother to child transmission. As such interventions are still not widely accessible or available in most resource-limited countries, where the burden of HIV is highest, every day an estimated 1,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2009, but only 360,000 children were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).Why Was This Study Done?Most observational studies of the effects of treatment on child survival have been undertaken in high-income countries, such as Italy and the United States. As most children with HIV live in low-resource areas, where multiple factors, such as delayed presentation to care and a higher incidence of co-occurring conditions, might adversely affect treatment outcomes, there is a specific need for information on the effects of HAART in children with HIV living in low-income countries. Although some investigations have taken place in pediatric cohorts from such countries (for example, C\uf4te d'Ivoire, Haiti, Lesotho, Thailand, and Zambia), the effect of HAART on mortality has not been accurately quantified among children in a resource-deprived setting. Therefore, in this observational clinical cohort study, the researchers investigated the effect of HAART on mortality in HIV-infected children in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).What Did the Researchers Do and Find?The researchers analyzed data from 790 children enrolled into an HIV program in Kinshasa, DRC, between December 2004 and May 2010 and used a statistical model (marginal structural models) to adjust for time-dependent confounding factors, such as the fact that HAART is typically initiated in sicker patients, for example, those with lower CD4 cell percentages. Assuming that all children starting HAART received it uninterruptedly throughout follow-up, using this statistical model, the researchers were able to compare the hazard ratio of death had all children initiated HAART to that had no children initiated HAART during follow-up.What Do These Findings Mean?These findings show that treatment with HAART markedly improved the survival of children infected with HIV in Kinshasa, DRC, and suggest that HAART is as effective in improving the survival of HIV-infected children in a severely resource-deprived country (still recovering from civil war) as in more resource-privileged settings\u2014an important finding given that the vast majority of children receiving HAART live in resource-poor areas. This study provides additional evidence that accelerating rollout of antiretroviral therapy to children with HIV in resource-poor countries is lifesaving and effective. Future research needs to address how effective HAART is in understudied populations in resource-poor countries, such as undernourished children or those with co-infections such as tuberculosis.Additional InformationPlease access these Web sites via the online version of this summary at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001044.2011P30 AI050410/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United StatesU2G PS001179/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHS/United States5U2GPS001179-01/PHS HHS/United StatesU62/CCU422422/PHS HHS/United States21695087PMC31148691056
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
No full textBackgroundThe long-term effects of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on CD4 percentage in HIV-infected children are incompletely understood, with evidence from resource-deprived areas particularly scarce even though most children with HIV live in such settings. We sought to describe this relationship.MethodsObservational longitudinal data from cART-naive children enrolled between December 2004 and May 2010 into an HIV care and treatment program in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo were analyzed. To estimate the effect of cART on CD4 percentage while accounting for time-dependent confounders affected by prior exposure to cART, a marginal structural linear mean model was used.ResultsSeven hundred ninety children were active for 2090 person-years and a median of 31 months; 619 (78%) initiated cART. At baseline, 405 children (51%) were in HIV clinical stage 3 or 4; 528 (67%) had advanced or severe immunodeficiency. Compared with no cART, the estimated absolute rise in CD4 percentage was 6.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.7% to 8.9%] after 6 months of cART, 8.6% (95% CI, 7.0% to 10.2%) after 12 months, and 20.5% (95% CI, 16.1% to 24.9%) after 60 months. cART-mediated CD4 percentage gains were slowest but greatest among children with baseline CD4 percentage <15. The cumulative incidence of recovery to \u201cnot significant\u201d World Health Organization age-specific immunodeficiency was lower if cART was started when immunodeficiency was severe rather than mild or advanced.ConclusionscART increased CD4 percentages among HIV-infected children in a resource-deprived setting, as previously noted among children in the United States. More gradual and protracted recovery in children with lower baseline CD4 percentages supports earlier initiation of pediatric cART.R01 HS018731/HS/AHRQ HHSUnited States/U2G PS001179/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHSUnited States/U62/CCU422422/PHS HHSUnited States/5U2GPS001179-01/PHS HHSUnited States/P30 AI050410/AI/NIAID NIH HHSUnited States
Barriers to and Facilitators of Adherence to Pediatric Antiretroviral Therapy in a Sub-Saharan Setting: Insights from a Qualitative Study
No full textDespite the need for HIV-positive children to adhere effectively to antiretroviral treatment (ART), a guiding theory for pediatric ART in resource-limited settings is still missing. Understanding factors that influence pediatric ART adherence is critical to developing adequate strategies. In-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 20 sets of HIV disclosed and nondisclosed children along with respective caregivers to better characterize barriers, facilitators, and adherence experiences in children taking ART. Commonly cited barriers included lack of food or nutritional support, lack of assistance or supervision for children, lack of assistance for caregivers, and being unable to remember to take medicines on a consistent basis. Facilitators included having a strong caregiver–child relationship and support system along with strategies for maintaining adherence. Similar themes arose within the child–caregiver sets, but were often characterized differently between the two. Children who were aware of their HIV status displayed fewer instances of frustration and conflict concerning taking medicines and within the child–caregiver relationship. Continued study on pediatric ART adherence should account for differing perspectives of children and caregivers, as well as between status disclosed and nondisclosed children. Areas of future intervention should focus on child–caregiver relationships, disclosure of HIV status, and available nutritional and psychosocial support for children and their caregivers
Caregivers’ Perspective on the Psychological Burden of Living with Children Affected by Sickle Cell Disease in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo
No full textThere is limited information on knowledge, perceptions, and management of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa in general and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in particular. This study explored knowledge, perceptions, and burden of 26 parents/caregivers of children with SCD in three selected hospitals in Kinshasa, DRC. We conducted a focus group with in-depth interviews with parents/caregivers of children affected with SCD. Four themes were discussed, including knowledge and perceptions, diagnosis and management, society’s perceptions, and the psychosocial burden and the quality of life of the family affected by SCD. The majority of participants/caregivers felt that society, in general, had negative perceptions of, attitudes toward, and knowledge about SCD. They reported that children with sickle cell are often marginalized, ignored, and excluded from society or school. They face a number of challenges related to care, management, financial difficulties, and a lack of psychological support. The results suggest the need to promote measures and strategies to improve knowledge and management of SCD in Kinshasa, DRC
The effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the survival of HIV-infected children in a resource-deprived setting: a cohort study.
No full textThe effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the survival of HIV-infected children has not been well quantified. Because most pediatric HIV occurs in low- and middle-income countries, our objective was to provide a first estimate of this effect among children living in a resource-deprived setting.Observational data from HAART-naïve children enrolled into an HIV care and treatment program in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, between December 2004 and May 2010 were analyzed. We used marginal structural models to estimate the effect of HAART on survival while accounting for time-dependent confounders affected by exposure. At the start of follow-up, the median age of the 790 children was 5.9 y, 528 (66.8%) had advanced or severe immunodeficiency, and 405 (51.3%) were in HIV clinical stage 3 or 4. The children were observed for a median of 31.2 mo and contributed a total of 2,089.8 person-years. Eighty children (10.1%) died, 619 (78.4%) initiated HAART, six (0.8%) transferred to a different care provider, and 76 (9.6%) were lost to follow-up. The mortality rate was 3.2 deaths per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-4.2) during receipt of HAART and 6.0 deaths per 100 person-years (95% CI 4.1-8.6) during receipt of primary HIV care only. The mortality hazard ratio comparing HAART with no HAART from a marginal structural model was 0.25 (95% CI 0.06-0.95).HAART reduced the hazard of mortality in HIV-infected children in Kinshasa by 75%, an estimate that is similar in magnitude but with lower precision than the reported effect of HAART on survival among children in the United States. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
“The Peer Educator Is the Game-Changer of My Life”: Perceptions of Adolescents Living with HIV in DR Congo on Involving Peer Educators in the Process of HIV Disclosure
No full textSeveral approaches to the disclosure of HIV status to children and adolescents have been described. Each of these places particular emphasis on the role of parents and health care workers (HCWs) to mitigate the impact of disclosure on the adolescent without exploring the possible roles that other individuals might play in the process of disclosure. This article assesses the perceptions of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) about disclosure done by parents, guardians, HCWs, peer educators in the role of peer supporters, accidentally or by self-discovery, and the subsequent effects of disclosure method on their mental health. We used a qualitative study to conduct semi-structured interviews with 73 ALHIV at the Kalembelembe Paediatric Hospital, in DR Congo disclosed to by parents, guardians, HCWs, and/or peer educators, respectively, or disclosed to accidentally or by self-discovery. Microsoft Excel analysis matrix was used to organize the qualitative data. The majority of ALHIV whose disclosure involved a peer educator unanimously acknowledged the important role of the peer in accepting their HIV status, in their ART adherence, and their development of self-esteem. However, most ALHIV disclosed without involving peers declared that they had accepted their situation after a relatively long period followed by contact with the peer and integration in the self-support group. We found that the peer approach is the game-changer of the HIV status disclosure process that would allow ALHIV to accept their HIV status with minimum distress, it builds resilience, and allows them to adhere to treatment.publishedVersio
Pulmonary Sporothrix schenckii infection in a HIV positive child
No full textSporothrix schenckii is a ubiquitous fungus, causing mostly non life-threatening localized infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues that can be treated with oral antifungal agents. Meningeal, pulmonary and osteoarticular dissemination occur mainly in immunosuppressed patients. Pulmonary sporothricosis is rare and responds poorly to treatment. Cases of disseminated sporotrichosis have most frequently been reported in patients residing in South America and Asia, and have increasingly been reported in AIDS patients. The distribution and pathogenicity of S. schenckii in Sub-Saharan Africa is not well known. We report a case of invasive pulmonary sporothrichosis in an eleven year old HIV-infected boy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, successfully treated with oral fluconazole
Computed CD4 percentage as a low-cost method for determining pediatric antiretroviral treatment eligibility
No full textAbstract Background The performance of the WHO recommendations for pediatric antiretroviral treatment (ART) in resource poor settings is insufficiently documented in routine care. Methods We compared clinical and immunological criteria in 366 children aged 0 to 12 years in Kinshasa and evaluated a simple computation to estimate CD4 percent, based on CD4 count, total white blood cell count and percentage lymphocytes. Kappa (κ) statistic was used to evaluate eligibility criteria and linear regression to determine trends of CD4 percent, count and total lymphocyte count (TLC). Results Agreement between clinical and immunological eligibility criteria was poor (κ = 0.26). One third of children clinically eligible for ART were ineligible using immunological criteria; one third of children immunologically eligible were ineligible using clinical criteria. Among children presenting in WHO stage I or II, 54 (32%) were eligible according to immunological criteria. Agreement with CD4 percent was poor for TLC (κ = 0.04), fair for total CD4 count (κ = 0.39) and substantial for CD4 percent computational estimate (κ = 0.71). Among 5 to 12 years old children, total CD4 count was higher in younger age groups (-32 cells/mm3 per year older), CD4 percent was similar across age groups. Conclusion Age-specific thresholds for CD4 percent optimally determine pediatric ART eligibility. The use of CD4 percent computational estimate may increase ART access in settings with limited access to CD4 percent assays.</p
Quantification of CD4 Responses to Combined Antiretroviral Therapy Over 5 Years Among HIV-Infected Children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
No full textThe long-term effects of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on CD4 percentage in HIV-infected children are incompletely understood, with evidence from resource-deprived areas particularly scarce even though most children with HIV live in such settings. We sought to describe this relationship
Grey areas indicate children misclassified using CD4 percent computational estimate compared to CD4 percent obtained by flow cytometry
No full text<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Computed CD4 percentage as a low-cost method for determining pediatric antiretroviral treatment eligibility"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/8/31</p><p>BMC Infectious Diseases 2008;8():31-31.</p><p>Published online 6 Mar 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2292192.</p><p></p
