HIV infection in children in developing countries

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2000 Jan-Feb;94(1):3-4. doi: 10.1016/s0035-9203(00)90414-0.

Abstract

Disease progression in children acquiring HIV infection vertically from their mothers is more rapid in developing countries compared with developed countries. The probability of death by 12 months in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from 0.23 to 0.35, and by 5 years is 0.57-0.68. Data from Europe in the era before highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) yielded probabilities of 0.1 and 0.2, respectively. Confirming the diagnosis can be difficult in resource-limited settings. Existing clinical case definitions are useful epidemiologically, but of low positive-predictive value in individual children. Priorities for research into management issues include nutrition (infant feeding, vitamin A and micronutrient supplementation), prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and bacterial infections, case management of persistent diarrhoea, diagnosis/prevention/management of tuberculosis in children and prevention of sexual transmission in adolescents.

MeSH terms

  • Africa South of the Sahara / epidemiology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Developing Countries* / statistics & numerical data
  • Disease Progression
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / mortality
  • HIV Infections / transmission*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical* / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents