Prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Tanzania, 2011

Abstract

BackgroundThe occurrence of HIV-1 and syphilis infections during pregnancy poses major health risks to the foetus due to mother-to-child transmission. We conducted surveillance of HIV and syphilis infections among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics (ANCs) in Mainland Tanzania in 2011.MethodsThis surveillance was carried out in 133 ANCs selected from 21 regions in Tanzania. In each region, six ANC sites were selected, with urban, semi-urban, and rural areas contributing two each. All pregnant women who were attending selected sentinel ANC sites for the first time at any pregnancy between September and December 2011 were enrolled. Serial ELISA assays were performed to detect HIV infection in an unlinked anonymous manner using dried blood spot (DBS) after routine syphilis testing. Data analysis was conducted using Stata v.12 software.ResultsA total of 39,698 pregnant women representing 2.4 % of all pregnant women (1.68 million) attending ANCs in the Mainland Tanzania were enrolled. The overall HIV prevalence was found to be 5.6 % (95 % CI: 5.4–5.8 %). The risk for HIV infection was significantly higher among women aged 25–34 (cOR = 1.97, 95 % CI: 1.79–2.16; p < 0.05), older than 35 years (cOR = 1.88, 95 % CI: 1.62–2.17; p < 0.05) and those having 1–2 and 3–4 previous pregnancies. HIV infection was less prevalent among women attending rural ANC clinics (cOR = 0.46, 95 % CI 0.4–0.52; p < 0.05).The overall syphilis prevalence was 2.5 % (95 % CI: 2.3, 3.6). The risk for syphilis infection was significantly higher among women attending semi-urban and rural clinics and those having 3–4, and 5 previous pregnancies (p < 0.05). Marital status and level of education were not statistically significant with either of the two infections. HIV and syphilis co-infections occurred in 109 of 38,928 (0.3 %).ConclusionThe overall prevalence of HIV infection (5.6 %) and syphilis (2.5 %) found among pregnant women attending ANC clinics in Tanzania calls for further strengthening of current intervention measures, which include scaling up the integration of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services in Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics.

High sero-prevalence of hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus infections among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Temeke municipal health facilities, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cross sectional study

“…The overall prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in our study exceeded the recent reported national HIV prevalence among pregnant women [28]. Similarly, the prevalence was higher compared to results from previous studies among pregnant women in Tanzania [12, 29].…”

Emergence of HIV Types and Risk Factors in Pregnant Women in Burkina Faso from 2006 to 2014

“…This result is different from that mentioned in Uganda stipulating that students had higher risk of HIV infection (AIRR=0.22) [59]. However, it is comparable to other studies especially in Burkina Faso where pupils and students be exposed to the risk of HIV infection was higher (OR=1.68 [1.20 to 2.33]) compared to other types of occupation gathered [41]; in Tanzania where prevalence was higher (13.1%) in commercial [53] [57] women of secondary and tertiary levels had a higher risk of being infected with HIV than those who did not reach the primary level (OR=0.5) and in India suggesting that women with less than 11 years of schooling had less risk of infection (Adjusted Odds Ratio=2.4) [58].…”

Implementation of co-trimoxazole preventive therapy policy for malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women in the public health facilities in Tanzania

“…Sample size for HIV-infected pregnant women was estimated using a statistical formula for cross-sectional studies based on the study done in Tanzania in 2011 23. In that study, the prevalence of HIV among women who were attending ANCs was 5.6%.…”