“… 16 It is worth noting that despite the high burden of paediatric HIV-1 infection in SSA, there still persists a gap in data concerning the quantitative characterization of HIV-1 DNA in reservoirs, especially in the Central African sub-region which is known for its high genetic diversity of HIV-1. 17 , 18 Most of studies reporting data on the quantitative profile of HIV-1 reservoirs on the SSA paediatric populations were conducted in Southern African countries and were focusing on very early treated infants. 13 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 These studies have shown that higher CD4 + T cell percentage and lower pre-ART HIV-1 viral load are predictors of low levels of HIV-1 DNA 19 ; early ART initiation, longer ART duration as well as long-term virologic control reduce levels of HIV-1 DNA.…”