Abstract:
Background: According to 2010 WHO Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) guidelines, in Tanzania only 69% of adults and 25% of children aged 0 – 14 in need of treatment are receiving it. In Tanzania, National HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines recommend that at least 20% of people living with HIV on treatment be children. However, since the beginning of the care and treatment program in Tanzania performance across the country has been less than 11%.
Aim: This study assessed level and determinants of HIV testing among children‟s of parents enrolled into CTCs in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in HIV care and treatment centers (CTC) in Rombo district. Parents living with HIV/AIDS aged 18 and above who had a child younger than 18 years enrolled in all care and treatment sites in the district were randomly recruited and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using statistical software for social scientists.
Results: A total of 280 people living with HIV with mean age of 40 years were recruited and interviewed. The prevalence of reported HIV testing among children of adults enrolled in care and treatment in Rombo district was 86.4% (242). The prevalence of HIV infection among children was reported to be 25.0% (60). Parents aged above 40 years were 74% less likely to have their children tested for HIV as compared to those aged 40 years or less ( Adjusted Odds ratio (AOR, 0.26, 95% Confidence interval:0.1-0.71). Moreover, parents with CD4 cells of 200 or below were 88% less likely to test their children as compared to those with CD4 cells above 200 (AOR, 0.22, 95%CI: 0.08-0.16). However, parents with good HIV transmission knowledge were 5 times more likely to report testing of their children as compared to those with poor knowledge (AOR, 5.32, 95%CI: 1.69-16.74).
Conclusion: Level of HIV testing among children of parents enrolled in care and treatment in Rombo district was high, with a quarter of tested children reported to be infected with HIV. Age below 40 years, lower CD4 cells (200 or less), and good HIV transmission knowledge were significant determinants of child HIV testing. Future intervention should target older age group with more advanced disease should aim at improving knowledge of HIV transmission
