Clinical Stages Of Hiv Infection Among First Adult Attendants At Art Clinic In Eastern Regional Hospitalkoforidua

ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS continue to affect millions of people especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the developed countries 10-30% of people infected present late for care whiles in developing countries 40-63% of people infected with the disease present late for clinical care. Late presentation classified as WHO stage 3 or 4 of infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and presents the opportunity of onward transmission of the infection. Antiretroviral therapy ART initiated at an appropriate time during HIV infection prolongs life, reduces the risk of onward transmission and greatly decreases the cost of healthcare. WHO clinical stages of infection remains the main tool used in resource poor setting in deciding when to initiate ART. Eastern region remains one of the regions in Ghana with a high prevalence (3.6% from 2011 HIV sentinel survey) of HIV/AIDS infection and with an ART clinic providing comprehensive care to people living with HIV/AIDS. The proportion of patients presenting late for clinical care is unknown and factors associated with late presentation has not been described over the years since clinics caring only for individuals with the infection started in the year 2005. The aim of this study was to determine the stages of HIV infection among first adult attendants at antiretroviral therapy clinic in Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua from 2008 to 2012. vi Findings from this study show that from 2008 to 2012 there was a rise in first attendees diagnosed at WHO stage 1 of HIV infection whiles those diagnosed at WHO stage 4 of infection showed a downward trend. Between 2011 and 2012 36.5% presented late for care with WHO stage 3 or 4 of HIV infection, factors associated with late presentation were being male, people who make out of pocket healthcare expenses, alcohol use, lack of a partner, being far from the clinic and poor attention to one’s own health as shown by the lack of condom use HIV intervention programs should seek to address these factors in order to reduce the burden of late presentation.