Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus among pregnant women in Nigeria

Abstract

Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among pregnant women has been associated with a number of adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Nigeria accounts for about 10% of the HIV/AIDS burden worldwide and has the second highest incidence of new HIV infections among women globally. This study estimated the overall prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in Nigeria and examined variations across the geo-political zones of the country. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was conducted using eight electronic databases and grey sources for studies published from 1·1·2008 to 31·8·2019. Primary studies reporting prevalence estimates of HIV among pregnant women diagnosed using a diagnostic/ screening test were identified, screened and appraised using a two-stage process. A meta-analysis was conducted with the primary outcome measure as proportion (%) of pregnant women identified as having HIV infection. Results Twenty three eligible studies involving 72,728 pregnant women were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of HIV among pregnant women was 7·22% (95% CI: 5·64, 9·21). A high degree of heterogeneity (I2=97·2%) and publication bias (p = 0.728) was reported. Prevalence rate for South-East geo-political zone (17·04%, 95% CI: 9·01, 29·86) was higher compared to the overall prevalence. Conclusions Findings imply that 7 out of every 100 pregnant women in Nigeria are likely to have HIV infection. The magnitude of the issue highlight the need for targeted efforts at local, national and international levels towards prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Key messages HIV infection among pregnant women is a major public health issue in Nigeria. Targeted efforts are needed at local, national and international levels towards prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Prevalence of HIV in surgical patients at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital

“…[6][7][8]. In a study conducted by Ozim et the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in Nigeria was 7.22% [7]. This figure was higher than that of our study of 1.6%.…”

“…this means obstetrics and gynaecological surgical patients had higher prevalence of HIV at 1.6% while non-obstetrics and gynaecological surgical patients had a lower HIV prevalence when compared to the national figure of 1.4%. [6][7][8]. In a study conducted by Ozim et the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in Nigeria was 7.22% [7].…”

“…Taking into consideration that HIV infections could be transmitted during surgical procedures makes it more worrisome to surgeons [2][3][4][5]. for this reason, preventive measures should be taken by surgeons before, during and after surgery due to the fact HIV infection is a blood borne infection [6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…In addition, with the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic [3][4][5][6]. HIV preventive services has been disrupted leading to increasing number of HIV infections [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. African and South-East Asian countries have greatest burden of HIV [8].…”

“…African and South-East Asian countries have greatest burden of HIV [8]. The estimate from Africa is over 30 million [7][8]. Furthermore, in African countries there is variation of the prevalence ofHIV infections with a prevalence of 1.4% from Nigeria [8].…”