Trend of HIV Seropositivity among Children at Teaching Tertiary Care Hospital in North India

Aim: The aim of this study is to ascertain the burden and trend of HIV sero-positivity among children attending ICTC in a teaching tertiary care hospital.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methodology: HIV seropositivity among children of age group 18 months- 14 years was determined by serological tests for HIV antibodies among children enrolled in ICTC of a teaching tertiary care hospital from Jan 2011 - Dec 2013 as per NACO guidelines.

Result: Of 2529 children tested for HIV infection, 10.4% were found to be seropositive. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) fall in the seropositivity was observed over the three years study period. In all the three years male children were more seropositive than female children (1.78:1). Most of the children were serodiagnosed late in our study, with mean age of 5.30 years / 63.64 months.

Conclusion: Our study reports a declining trend of sero-positivity (from 13.1% to 9.8%) among children attending ICTC. But the prevalence is still high (>9%) which calls for re-intensified efforts on health education and risk control programme.