SEROPREVALENCE OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION AMONG TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS IN THE NYLON DISTRICT HOSPITAL TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT CENTRE

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in Cameroon is high with 32% of adult

TB patients, all forms, co-infected with HIV. The Nylon District Hospital in Douala

runs a centre for the diagnosis and treatment of TB since 2001 and a pioneer Human

Immunodefi ciency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune defi ciency Syndrome (AIDS)

management programme at district level since 2000.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of HIV infection in TB patients from 2003 to

2006 and to analyse the pattern of TB/HIV co-infection rate over time.

Design: A retrospective study.

Setting: Nylon District Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.

Results: The prevalence of HIV infection in TB patients was 51.6%. This was greater for

patients living out of the Nylon Health District (P= 0.00 I). Smear positive pulmonary

tuberculosis (SPPT) was the most frequent (65%) form of TB diagnosed but extrapulmonary

tuberculosis (EPT) and smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPT)

were more frequently associated with HIV co-infection (80% and 68.6% respectively).

While men and women presented equally with TB, women (61.4%) were signifi cantly

(P< 0.0001) more TB/HIV co-infected than men (42%). The co-infection rate was highest

among individuals aged 25-44 years (61.4%) and least among the 0-24 years age group

(22.5%). The increase in TB/HIV co-infection rate is monotonic over time with a stronger

trend among females aged 25-44 years (P= 0.037) and above 45 years (P= 0.001).

Conclusion: The NDH selectively attracted HIV positive patients to adhere to their

HIV programme. The creation of HIV / AIDS treatment units in institutions providing

TB diagnosis and treatment services will reduce the movement of TB/HIV co-infected

patients across provinces and health districts as well as enhancing TB/HIV co-infection

diagnosis and notifi cation.