| dc.description.abstract | This was a retrospective cohort study which investigated factors associated with the final HIV
status among infants born to HIV positive women at Regional Referral Hospitals (RRH) in
Uganda. The assessment was made by socio-demographic characteristics, maternal clinical and
infant clinical factors using data collected by the United States Agency for International
Development’s Strengthening Uganda Systems to Treat AIDS Nationally (SUSTAIN)
implemented by University Research Co. LLC (URC).
The study considered 1,482 exposed infants identified at eleven RRHs from January to December
2013. The analysis was done using frequency distributions and logistic regression. In the results,
approximately nine-in-every hundred exposed infants (8.7%) had a positive final HIV status.
More than 10KM distance of hospital from infant’s home (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.4, 10.4),
delivered from home (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.4, 11.0), Complementary Feeding (AOR = 4.2, 95%
CI: 1.3, 13.0), failure to receive ARV prophylaxis at birth (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.0, 6.8), received
2nd DBS test after 6 months of age (AOR= 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.17) were significantly associated
with the final status among infants born to HIV positive women.
In light of the findings, there is need to strengthen measures to address barriers against infants
receiving ARV prophylaxis at birth and selection of infant feeding status. This could be through
increasing competences of health care providers based at all levels of the health structure and,
health providers should work together to ensure that all HIV positive women are availed ANC
services and skilled delivery. Expansion of availability of the ARV prophylaxis at all health
levels is key so that the HIV positive mother and her infant are provided with ARV prophylaxis
at birth. Also, addressing women's perceptions and misconceptions on a large scale through mass
media and extensively strengthen nutritional counselling and health education programs. | en_US |
