Caregiver satisfaction has the potential to promote equity for children living with HIV, by influencing health-seeking behaviour. We measured dimensions of caregiver satisfaction with paediatric HIV treatment in Nigeria, and discuss its implications for equity by conducting facility-based exit interviews for caregivers of children receiving antiretroviral therapy in 20 purposively selected facilities within 5 geopolitical zones. Descriptive analysis and factor analysis were performed. Due to the hierarchical nature of the data, multilevel regression modelling was performed to investigate relationships between satisfaction factors and socio-demographic variables. Of 1550 caregivers interviewed, 63% (95% CI: 60.6–65.4) reported being very satisfied overall; however, satisfaction varied in some dimensions: only 55.6% (53.1–58.1) of caregivers could talk privately with health workers, 56.9% (54.4–59.3) reported that queues to see health workers were too long, and 89.9% (88.4–91.4) said that some health workers did not treat patients living with HIV with sufficient respect. Based on factor analysis, two underlying factors, labelled Availability and Attitude, were identified. In multilevel regression, the satisfaction with availability of services correlated with formal employment status (p < .01), whereas caregivers receiving care in private facilities were less likely satisfied with both availability (p < .01) and attitude of health workers (p < .05). State and facility levels influenced attitudes of the health workers (p < .01), but not availability of services. We conclude that high levels of overall satisfaction among caregivers masked dissatisfaction with some aspects of services. The two underlying satisfaction factors are part of access typology critical for closing equity gaps in access to HIV treatment between adults and children, and across socio-economic groups.

Background: The disease burden associated with HIV/AIDS is a key factor in the etiopathogenesis of undernutrition in growing children. This is aggravated by resultant social factors in HIV such as orphaning, low socioeconomic status, food insecurity, and marital status of caregivers. Objectives: The relationship between sociodemographic factors and malnutrition in the background of HIV was evaluated. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among under-five HIV positive children in Anambra State, Nigeria. Results: A total of 370 HIV positive under-five children comprising 208(56.2%) males and 162(43.8%) females were recruited. The mean age of the children was 44.5±12.9 months. One hundred and forty-seven (39.7%) were globally undernourished: 15.7.0% (58) underweight (WFA <-2SD), 13.3% (49) wasted (WFH < -2SD), and 27.9% (103) stunted (HFA <-2SD). Males were significantly more stunted than females (p<0.001). 77% (285) were of low socioeconomic class (SEC), 47.3% (175) had advanced HIV disease, and 68.1% (252) had been on HAART for >12 months. 26% (96) were orphans, while 28.6% (106) were cared for by single parents. Being on HAART for >12 months was associated with less undernutrition, while advanced HIV disease seemed to enhance it. Children of low SEC were more likely to be undernourished. Not having been breastfed, introduction of complementary feeds at age 3mo or less, poor food variety and suboptimal feeding frequency increased susceptibility to undernutrition. Orphans were more wasted and stunted than underweight. Single parenthood predisposed to undernutrition. Conclusions: HIV-infected children are vulnerable to malnutrition by virtue of the disease process, further compounded by interwoven social dilemma associated with HIV. It, therefore, behooves the health care provider to ensure a proactive growth monitoring and nutritional support, with prompt treatment of co-morbid debilitating infections. There is also a dire need for public health interventions targeted at single parents of low socioeconomic means.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition among HIV- infected under-five children and effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the nutritional status. Method: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted among under-fives presenting at the Paediatric HIV clinic in a tertiary centre in Nigeria. HIV positive children aged less than five years, who were on HAART and whose parents/caregivers gave consent were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined in a multivariate logistic regression analysis and p-values of <0.05 were considered significant. Result: A total of 92 HIV positive children comprising 52 (56.5%) males and 40 (43.5%) females were recruited, giving a ratio of 1.3:1. Children who were more than 48 months of age were (46.7%), while (9.8%) were aged 24 months or less. The mean age of the children was 44.5+12.9 months, while that of the male and female children were 43.9 +13.1 months and 45.2+12.6 months, respectively, and their age difference was statistically insignificant. The prevalence of undernutrition was 40.2% with a significantly higher proportion of them being male children (P= 0.02) while 1.1% of the children was overweight. The prevalence of severe wasting, severe underweight and severe stunting were 2.1, 3.3 and 17.4% respectively. A total of 12 (13.0%) were wasted, 14 (15.2%) were underweight, and 26 (28.3%) were stunted. Children who received HAART for more than 12 months were less likely to be wasted (P=0.02). Multivariate logistic regression also showed that being a male increased the risk of being underweight (OR=2.55, 95%CL=1.06-6.16) and stunted (OR=2.67, 95%CL=1.32-5.40). Conclusion: Malnutrition remains a problem of children living with HIV even while they are on HAART. The longer duration of HAART is significantly associated with better nutritional status.

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Electroencephalography (EEG) makes critical contribution to the management of epilepsies. Few studies have examined the clinical and socio-demographic factors that are likely to predict finding an abnormal or epileptiform EEG in children with epilepsy (CWE). Knowledge of clinical variables and socio demographic factors that determine EEG abnormalities may inform careful selection of children for EEG and improve the cost-effectiveness of this investigation. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the relationship between the occurrence of EEG abnormalities and certain factors such as age, gender, clinical neurologic state, seizure type, anti-epileptic drug therapy, activation procedure such as sleep and etiology of epilepsy in children who had EEG in Owerri, Nigeria. The clinical and EEG records of children who had EEG at a tertiary referral center over a period of two years were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant data including demographics, clinical neurologic state, seizure type, EEG findings were extracted. Statistical analysis was used to determine association between categorical variables. The variables noted to be significantly associated with abnormal EEG recordings were the presence of abnormal neurologic findings (p=0.020) and etiology of epilepsy (p=0.045). There were no significant association between abnormal EEG findings and age (p=0.680), gender (p=0.802) and seizure types (p=0.157). The clinical neurological state and etiology of epilepsy in children were significantly associated with the occurrence of abnormalities and yield of interictal scalp EEG. Children with epilepsy who are neurologically abnormal or have multiple etiological factors could be prioritized in EEG appointments in resource-poor settings. Further research in children with epilepsy is needed to confirm these findings.