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In a large, multiregional cohort of African infants with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposure, 44% of those with a positive HIV polymerase chain reaction test lacked a confirmatory positive test. Efforts are needed to ensure high-fidelity implementation of HIV testing algorithms so that all positive results are confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction By the end of 2013, there were 3.2 million (2.9-3.5 million) children younger than 15 years living with HIV globally. Among these HIV-infected children, 2.9 million (2.6-3.2 million) were [...], Introduction: Lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all HIV-infected children less than three years. However, little is known about its field implementation and effectiveness in West Africa. We assessed the 12-month response to lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy in a cohort of West African children treated before the age of two years. Methods: HIV-1-infected, ART-naive except for a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), tuberculosis-free, and less than two years of age children with parent's consent were enrolled in a 12-month prospective therapeutic cohort with lopinavir/ritonavir ART and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in Ouagadougou and Abidjan. Virological suppression (VS) at 12 months (viral load [VL] Results: Between May 2011 and January 2013, 156 children initiated ART at a median age of 13.9 months (interquartile range: 7.8-18.4); 63% were from Abidjan; 53% were girls; 37% were not exposed to any PMTCT intervention or maternal ART; mother was the main caregiver in 81%; 61% were classified World Health Organization Stage 3 to 4. After 12 months on ART, 11 children had died (7%), 5 were lost-to-follow-up/withdrew (3%), and VS was achieved in 109: 70% of children enrolled and 78% of those followed-up. When adjusting for country and gender, the access to tap water at home versus none (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-6.94), the mother as the main caregiver versus the father (aOR: 2.82, 95% CI: 1.03-7.71), and the increase of CD4 percentage greater than 10% between inclusion and 6 months versus Conclusions: Twelve-month VS rate on lopinavir/ritonavir-based ART was high, comparable to those in Africa or high-income countries. The father as the main child caregiver and lack of access to tap water are risk factors for viral failure and justify a special caution to improve adherence in these easy-to-identify situations before ART initiation. Public health challenges remain to optimize outcomes in children with earlier ART initiation in West Africa. Keywords: HIV; children; early antiretroviral treatment; lopinavir; treatment outcomes; cohort; West Africa

Introduction The paediatric epidemic of HIV remains a major concern in the world. In 2012, three million children were living with HIV infection worldwide, 91% of whom were in sub-Saharan [...], Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 guidelines recommended to treat all HIV-infected children less than two years of age. We described the inclusion process and its correlates of HIV-infected children initiated on early antiretroviral therapy (EART) at less than two years of age in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Methods: All children with HIV-1 infection confirmed with a DNA PCR test of a blood sample, aged less than two years, living at a distance less than two hours from the centres and whose parents (or mother if she was the only legal guardian or the legal caregiver if parents were not alive) agreed to participate in the MONOD ANRS 12206 project were included in a cohort to receive EART based on lopinavir/r. We used logistic regression to identify correlates of inclusion. Results: Among the 217 children screened and referred to the MONOD centres, 161 (74%) were included and initiated on EART. The main reasons of non-inclusion were fear of father's refusal (48%), mortality (24%), false-positive HIV infection test (16%) and other ineligibility reasons (12%). Having previously disclosed the child's and mother's HIV status to the father (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.20; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.55 to 6.69) and being older than 12 months (aOR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.02 to 4.12) were correlates of EART initiation. At EART initiation, the median age was 13.5 months, 70% had reached WHO Stage 3/4 and 57% had a severe immune deficiency. Conclusions: Fear of stigmatization by the father and early competing mortality were the major reasons for missed opportunities of EART initiation. There is an urgent need to involve fathers in the care of their HIV-exposed children and to promote early infant diagnosis to improve their future access to EART and survival. Keywords: children; West Africa; HIV; acceptability; early antiretroviral therapy; linkage to care; access to care.

Background Co-trimoxazole is recommended for all children with human immunodeficiency virus. In this analysis, we evaluate trends in pediatric co-trimoxazole use and survival on co-trimoxazole in children using antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods We used data collected between January 1, 2006, and March 31, 2016, from the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS. Logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with using co-trimoxazole at ART initiation. Competing risk regression was used to assess factors associated with death. Results A total of 54113 children were included in this study. The prevalence of co-trimoxazole use at ART initiation increased from 66.5% in 2006 to a peak of 85.6% in 2010 and then declined to 48.5% in 2015–2016. A similar trend was observed among children who started ART with severe immunodeficiency. After adjusting for year of ART initiation, younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.18 for <1 vs 1 to <5 years of age [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09–1.28]), lower height-for-age z score (OR, 1.15 for less than −3 vs greater than −2 [95% CI, 1.08–1.22]), anemia (OR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02–1.15]), severe immunodeficiency (OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.18–1.32]), and receiving care in East Africa (OR, 8.97 vs Southern Africa [95% CI, 8.17–9.85]) were associated with a high prevalence of co-trimoxazole use. Survival did not differ according to co-trimoxazole use in children without severe immunodeficiency (hazard ratio, 1.01 for nonusers versus users [95% CI, 0.77–1.34]). Conclusions Recent declines in co-trimoxazole use may not be linked to the current shift toward early ART initiation. Randomized trial data might be needed to establish the survival benefit of co-trimoxazole in children without severe immunodeficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The 2016 World Health Organization guidelines recommend all children <3 years start antiretroviral therapy (ART) on protease inhibitor-based regimens. But lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) syrup has many challenges in low-income countries, including limited availability, requires refrigeration, interactions with anti-tuberculous drugs, twice-daily dosing, poor palatability in young children, and higher cost than non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drugs. Successfully initiating LPV/r-based ART in HIV-infected children aged <2 years raises operational challenges that could be simplified by switching to a protease inhibitor-sparing therapy based on efavirenz (EFV), although, to date, EFV is not recommended in children <3 years.Methods: The MONOD ANRS 12026 study is a phase 3 non-inferiority open-label randomised clinical trial conducted in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (ClinicalTrial.gov registry: NCT01127204). HIV-1-infected children who were tuberculosis-free and treated before the age of 2 years with 12-15 months of suppressive twice-daily LPV/r-based ART (HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL) <500 copies/mL, confirmed) were randomised to two arms: once-daily combination of abacavir (ABC) + lamivudine (3TC) + EFV (referred to as EFV) versus continuation of the twice-daily combination zidovudine (ZDV) or ABC + 3TC + LPV/r (referred to as LPV). The primary endpoint was the difference in the proportion of children with virological suppression by 12 months post-randomisation between arms (14% non-inferiority bound, Chi-squared test).Results: Between May 2011 and January 2013, 156 children (median age 13.7 months) were initiated on ART. After 12-15 months on ART, 106 (68%) were randomised to one of the two treatment arms (54 LPV, 52 EFV); 97 (91%) were aged <3 years. At 12 months post-randomisation, 46 children (85.2%) from LPV versus 43 (82.7%) from EFV showed virological suppression (defined as a VL <500 copies/mL; difference, 2.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI), -11.5 to 16.5), whereas seven (13%) in LPV and seven (13.5%) in EFV were classed as having virological failure (secondary outcome, defined as a VL ≥1000 copies/mL; difference, 0.5%; 95% CI, -13.4 to 12.4). No significant differences in adverse events were observed, with two adverse events in LPV (3.7%) versus four (7.7%) in EFV (p = 0.43). On genotyping, 13 out of 14 children with virological failure (six out of seven EFV, seven out of seven LPV) had a drug-resistance mutation: nine (five out of six EFV, four out of seven LPV) had one or more major NNRTI-resistance mutations whereas none had an LPV/r-resistance mutation.Conclusions: At the VL threshold of 500 copies/mL, we could not conclusively demonstrate the non-inferiority of EFV on viral suppression compared to LPV because of low statistical power. However, non-inferiority was confirmed for a VL threshold of <1000 copies/mL. Resistance analyses highlighted a high frequency of NNRTI-resistance mutations. A switch to an EFV-based regimen as a simplification strategy around the age of 3 years needs to be closely monitored.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov registry n° NCT01127204 , 19 May 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited evidence regarding the optimal timing of initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children. We conducted a causal modeling analysis in children ages 1-5 years from the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS West/Southern-Africa collaboration to determine growth and mortality differences related to different CD4-based treatment initiation criteria, age groups, and regions.Methods: ART-naïve children of ages 12-59 months at enrollment with at least one visit before ART initiation and one follow-up visit were included. We estimated 3-year growth and cumulative mortality from the start of follow-up for different CD4 criteria using g-computation.Results: About one quarter of the 5,826 included children was from West Africa (24.6%).The median (first; third quartile) CD4% at the first visit was 16% (11%; 23%), the median weight-for-age z-scores and height-for-age z-scores were -1.5 (-2.7; -0.6) and -2.5 (-3.5; -1.5), respectively. Estimated cumulative mortality was higher overall, and growth was slower, when initiating ART at lower CD4 thresholds. After 3 years of follow-up, the estimated mortality difference between starting ART routinely irrespective of CD4 count and starting ART if either CD4 count <750 cells/mm³ or CD4% <25% was 0.2% (95% CI = -0.2%; 0.3%), and the difference in the mean height-for-age z-scores of those who survived was -0.02 (95% CI = -0.04; 0.01). Younger children ages 1-2 and children in West Africa had worse outcomes.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that earlier treatment initiation yields overall better growth and mortality outcomes, although we could not show any differences in outcomes between immediate ART and delaying until CD4 count/% falls below 750/25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adolescents living with HIV are sexually active and engaged in risky sexual behaviors. Knowledge on how and to what extent adolescents in HIV care are affected by pregnancy is needed so as to adopt better preventive services. We estimated 4-year pregnancy incidence and correlates among HIV-infected female adolescents in HIV care in urban Coˆte d’Ivoire. Design: We conducted retrospective analysis of a pediatric prospective cohort of the International epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) West Africa Collaboration. Female patients with confirmed HIV infection aged 1019 years, having at least one clinical visit in 2009 to health facilities participating in the pediatric IeDEA West African cohort in Abidjan, Coˆte d’Ivoire, were included. Data on incident pregnancies were obtained through medical records and interviews with health professionals. Pregnancy incidence rate was estimated per 100 person-years (PY). Poisson regression models were used to identify factors associated with the first pregnancy and provided incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: In 2009, 266 female adolescents were included, with a median age of 12.8 years (interquartile range, IQR: 10.015.0), CD4 cell counts of 506 cells/mm3 (IQR: 302737), and 80% on antiretroviral treatment. At the 48th month, 17 new pregnancies were reported after 938 PYof follow-up: 13 girls had one pregnancy while 2 had two pregnancies. Overall incidence rate of pregnancy was 1.8/100 PY (95% CI: 1.12.9). High incidence was observed among those aged 1519 years: 3.6/100 PY (95% CI: 2.25.9). Role of maternal death in the risk of pregnancy was at the limit of statistical significance (adjusted IRR: 3.1, 95% CI: 0.911.0; ref. non-maternal orphans). Conclusions: Incidence of pregnancy among HIV-infected adolescents in care aged 1519 years reached a level observed in adult cohorts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Health personnel in pediatric care have to intensify their efforts to provide more realistic and age-adapted reproductive health services to meet the needs of adolescent patients already confronting issues of sexuality. Vulnerability of maternal orphans merits further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis has an antimalarial effect which could have an additional protective effect against malaria in HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We measured the incidence and associated factors of malaria in HIV-infected children on ART and/or cotrimoxazole in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: All HIV-infected children <16 years, followed-up in the IeDEA West-African paediatric cohort (pWADA) in Abidjan, were prospectively included from May to August 2012, the rainy season. Children presenting signs suggesting malaria had a thick blood smear and were classified as confirmed or probable malaria. We calculated incidence density rates (IR) per 100 child-years (CY). Risk factors were assessed using a Poisson regression model. Results: Overall, 1117 children were included, of whom 89 % were ART-treated and 67 % received cotrimoxazole. Overall, there were 51 malaria events occurring in 48 children: 28 confirmed and 23 probable; 94 % were uncomplicated malaria. The overall IR of malaria (confirmed and probable) was 18.3/100 CY (95 % CI: 13.3-23.4), varying from 4.2/100 CY (95 % CI: 1.1-7.3) in children on ART and cotrimoxazole to 57.3/100 CY (95 % CI: 7.1-107.6) for those receiving no treatment at all. In univariate analysis, age <5 years was significantly associated with a 2-fold IR of malaria compared to age >10 years (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.04-4.58). Adjusted for severe immunodeficiency, cotrimoxazole reduced significantly the IR of first malarial episode (adjusted IRR [aIRR] = 0.13, 95 % CI: 0.02-0.69 and aIRR = 0.05, 95 % CI:0.02-0.18 in those off and on ART respectively). Severe immunodeficiency increased significantly the malaria IR (aIRR = 4.03, 95 % CI: 1.55-10.47). When considering the IR of confirmed malaria only, this varied from 2.4/100 CY (95 % CI: 0.0-4.8) in children on ART and cotrimoxazole to 34.4/100 CY (95 % CI: 0.0-73.3) for those receiving no treatment at all. In adjusted analyses, the IR of malaria in children on both cotrimoxazole and ART was significantly reduced (aIRR = 0.05, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.24) compared to those receiving no treatment at all. Conclusions: Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis was strongly protective against the incidence of malaria when associated with ART in HIV-infected children. Thus, these drugs should be provided as widely and durably as possible in all HIV-infected children <5 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We describe the 24-month incidence of Dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation since its introduction in 2019 in West Africa., Methods: We included all patients aged 0-24 years on ART from nine clinics in Côte d'Ivoire (n=4), Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Baseline varied by clinic and was defined as date of first DTG prescription; patients were followed up until database closure/death/loss to follow-up (LTFU, no visit ≥7 months), whichever came first. We computed the cumulative incidence function for DTG initiation; associated factors were explored in a shared frailty model, accounting for clinic heterogeneity., Results: Since 2019, 3350 patients were included; 47.2% were female; 78.9% had been on ART ≥12 months. Median baseline age was 12.5 years (IQR 8.4-15.8). Median follow-up was 14 months (IQR 7-22). The overall cumulative incidence of DTG initiation reached 22.7% (95% CI 21.3 to 24.2) and 56.4% (95% CI 54.4 to 58.4) at 12 and 24 months, respectively. In univariate analyses, those aged <5 years and female were overall less likely to switch. Adjusted on ART line and available viral load (VL) at baseline, females aged >10 years were less likely to initiate DTG compared with males of the same age (adjusted HR among 10-14 years: 0.62, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.72; among ≥15 years: 0.43, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.50), as were those with detectable VL (>50 copies/mL) compared with those in viral suppression (aHR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97) and those on PIs compared with those on non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (aHR after 12 months of roll-out: 0.75, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.86)., Conclusion: Paediatric DTG uptake was incomplete and unequitable in west African settings: DTG use was least likely in children <5 years, females ≥10 years and those with detectable VL. Maintained monitoring and support of treatment practices is required to better ensure universal and equal uptake., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Introduction: We describe the 24-month incidence of Dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation since its introduction in 2019 in West Africa., Methods: We included all patients aged 0-24 years on ART from nine clinics in Côte d'Ivoire (n=4), Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Baseline varied by clinic and was defined as date of first DTG prescription; patients were followed up until database closure/death/loss to follow-up (LTFU, no visit ≥ 7 months), whichever came first. We computed the cumulative incidence function for DTG initiation; associated factors were explored in a shared frailty model, accounting for clinic heterogeneity., Results: Since 2019, 3,350 patients were included; 47.2% were female; 78.9% had been on ART ≥ 12 months. Median baseline age was 12.5 years (Interquartile range[IQR]: 8.4-15.8). Median follow-up was 14 months (IQR: 7-22). The overall cumulative incidence of DTG initiation reached 22.7% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 21.3-24.2) and 56.4% (95% CI: 54.4-58.4) at 12 and 24 months, respectively. In univariate analyses, those aged <5 years and females were overall less likely to switch. Adjusted on ART line and available viral load (VL) at baseline, females >10 years were less likely to initiate DTG compared to males of the same age (adjusted Hazard Ratio [HR] among 10-14 years: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54-0.72; among ≥15 years: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.36-0.50), as were those with detectable VL (> 50 copies/mL) compared to those in viral suppression (aHR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77-0.97) and those on protease inhibitors compared to those on non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (aHR after 12 months of roll-out: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65-0.86)., Conclusion: Paediatric DTG uptake was incomplete and unequitable in West African settings: DTG use was least likely in children <5years, females ≥ 10 years and those with detectable viral load. Maintained monitoring and support of treatment practices is required to better ensure universal and equal uptake., Competing Interests: COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare that they have no competing interests.