Effectiveness of symptom-based diagnostic HIV testing versus targeted and blanket provider-initiated testing and counseling among children and adolescents in Cameroon.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The concurrent implementation of targeted (tPITC) and blanket provider-initiated testing and counselling (bPITC) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for HIV case-finding in generalized HIV epidemics. This study assessed the effectiveness of this intervention compared to symptom-based diagnostic HIV testing (DHT) in terms of HIV testing uptake, case detection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) enrollment among children and adolescents in Cameroon, where estimated HIV prevalence is relatively low at 3.7%.

Methods

In three hospitals where DHT was the standard practice before, tPITC and bPITC were implemented by inviting HIV-positive parents in care at the ART clinics to have their biological children (6 weeks-19 years) tested for HIV (tPITC). Concurre

SUBMITTER: Yumo HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6502453 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature