Clinical and operational factors associated with low pediatric inpatient HIV testing coverage in Mozambique

Setting

Eleven pediatric wards in Maputo Province, Mozambique.

Objective

1) To determine provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC) coverage, the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity, and the clinical and facility-level variables associated with PITC; and 2) to assess the care cascade for HIV-exposed and -infected children.

Design

This was a cross-sectional, retrospective review of inpatient charts, selected via systematic randomization, of patients aged 0-4 years, admitted between July and December 2015.

Results

Among the 800 patients included, the median age was 23 months and median duration of hospitalization was 3 days. HIV testing was ordered in 46.0% of eligible patients (known HIV-infected at admission excluded), with results documented for 35.7%, of whom 8.3% were positive. The patient hospitalization diagnoses with the highest PITC rates were malnutrition (73.8%), sepsis (71.4%) and tuberculosis (58.3%), with positivity rates of respectively 16.1%, 20.0%, and 28.6%. Longer hospitalization, weekday admission, and PITC training for staff were significantly associated with better PITC performance. Antiretroviral treatment was initiated during hospitalization for 29.6% of eligible patients.

Conclusion

PITC coverage was low, with high HIV positivity rates, highlighting missed opportunities for diagnosis and linkage to treatment. Strengthened routine testing on wards with consideration of inpatient ART initiation are needed to help achieve pediatric 90-90-90 goals.