Sexual risk behavior among people living with HIV and AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at the regional hospital of Sokodé, Togo.

BACKGROUND: Several studies on the sexual risk behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa have reported that the initiation of antiretroviral therapy leads to safer sexual behaviors. There is however a persistence of risky sexual behavior which is evidenced by a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). We sought to determine the factors associated with risky sex among PLWHA on antiretroviral therapy in Togo. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to July 2013 at regional hospital of Sokodé, Togo, and targeted 291 PLWHA on antiretroviral therapy for at least three months. RESULTS: From May to July 2013, 291 PLWHA on antiretroviral treatment were surveyed. The mean age of PLWHA was 37.3 years and the sex ratio (male/female) was 0.4. Overall, 217 (74.6%) PLWHA were sexually active since initiation of antiretroviral treatment, of which, 74 (34.6%) had risky sexual relations. In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with risky sex were: the duration of antiretroviral treatment (1 to 3 years: aOR = 27.08; p = 0.003; more than 3 years: aOR = 10.87; p = 0.028), adherence of antiretroviral therapy (aOR = 2.56; p = 0.014), alcohol consumption before sex (aOR = 3.59; p = 0.013) and level of education (primary school: aOR = 0.34 p = 0.011; secondary school: aOR = 0.23 p = 0.003; high school: aOR = 0.10; p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of unsafe sex among PLWHA receiving ART at the hospital of Sokodé. Factors associated with sexual risk behaviors were: low education level, non-adherence to ART, alcohol consumption before sex and the duration of ART. It is important to strengthen the implementation of secondary prevention strategies among this population group.

Burden of Pneumococcal Disease in Northern Togo before the Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine.

BACKGROUND: S. pneumoniae is a leading cause of meningitis morbidity and mortality in the African meningitis belt, but little is known of its contribution to the burden of pneumonia in the region. We aimed to estimate the incidence of pneumococcal disease in children and adults in northern Togo, before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). METHODS AND FINDINGS: From May 1st 2010 to April 30th 2013, we systematically enrolled all hospitalized patients meeting a case definition of suspected meningitis or clinical pneumonia, residing in Tone or Cinkasse districts, northern Togo and providing informed consent. We collected clinical data and tested biological specimens according to standardized procedures, including bacteriology and PCR testing of cerebro-spinal fluid for meningitis patients and blood cultures and whole blood lytA PCR for pneumonia patients. Chest X-rays (CXR) were interpreted using the WHO methodology. We included 404 patients with meningitis (104 <5 years of age) and 1550 with pneumonia (251 <5 years) over the study period. Of these, 78 (19%) had pneumococcal meningitis (13 <5 years), 574 (37%) had radiologically-confirmed pneumonia (83 <5 years) and 73 (5%) had culture-confirmed pneumococcal pneumonia (2 <5 years). PCV13 serotypes caused 79% (54/68) of laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal meningitis and 83% (29/35) of culture-confirmed pneumococcal pneumonia. Serotype 1 predominated in meningitis (n = 33) but not in pneumonia patients (n = 1). The incidence of pneumococcal disease was 7.5 per 100,000 among children <5 years of age and 14.8 in persons 5 years of age and above in the study area. When considering CXR-confirmed and blood PCR-positive pneumonia cases as likely pneumococcal, incidence estimates increased to 43.7 and 66.0 per 100,000 in each of these age groups, respectively. Incidence was at least 3-fold higher when we restricted the analysis to the urban area immediately around the study hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the important role of S. pneumoniae as a meningitis and pneumonia-causing pathogen in the African meningitis belt. Pneumococcal disease incidence in our population was substantially lower than expected from global models; we hypothesize that poor access to hospital care led us to substantially underestimate the burden of disease. Surveillance is ongoing and will enable an evaluation of PCV impact, providing novel, high quality data from the region.

[Impact of Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) approach on immunization coverage achieved during the preventive vaccination campaign against meningitis A using MenAfriVac in Togo in 2014]. / L'utilisation de l'approche CTC: quel impact sur la couverture vaccinale lors de la campagne préventive de vaccination contre la méningite A avec le MenAfriVac au Togo en 2014?

METHOD: We conducted a survey from 9 to 14 March 2015 (for approximately 3 months) after the end of the vaccination campaign in these four regions. Interviewees were selected using two stages cluster sampling stratified according to the regions. MenAfriVac vaccine in Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC) was used in 10 districts, in Togo. RESULTS: A total of 2707 households were surveyed and 9082 people aged 1-29 years were interviewed. The average age of the individuals surveyed was 11.8±7.7 years and sex-ratio (H/F) was 1.01. The average number of individuals per household was 5.7 and that of persons aged 1-29 years targeted in the campaign was 3.4. Out of 9082 people surveyed 8889 (98%) were vaccinated. Multivariate analysis showed that the factors associated with immunization coverage using MenAfrivac vaccine were: habitual residence in the area at the time of the campaign (AOR = 4.52; 95%CI = [4.07 - 4.97]) and level of information about the campaign before it starts (AOR=2.42; 95%CI = [2.05 - 2.80]). By contrast, there were no differences in vaccination coverage between the areas based on whether the CTC approach was used or not (AOR=0.09; 95%CI = [-0.27 - 0.45]). Two hundred and seven respondents (2.3%) reported that they had Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) after the administration of the vaccine. These were usually minor AEFI involving fever, abscesses and swelling at the injection site. CONCLUSION: Survey results show that the use of CTC in a country with limited resources such as Togo doesn't have a negative impact on immunization coverage. Indeed, there was no difference between immunization coverage in CTC and non-CTC areas. It is important to capitalize on the experience gained in order to use vaccines by Expanded Program of Immunization in CTC approach especially in countries with limited resources in terms of cold chain availability.

HIV status disclosure to sexual partners, among people living with HIV and AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at Sokodé regional hospital, Togo.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have reported factors associated with HIV status disclosure among People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) but very few were conducted among PLWHA receiving ART. In Togo, no study on HIV status disclosure to sexual partners has been conducted among PLWHA on ART yet. We sought to document factors associated with HIV status disclosure among PLWHA receiving ART at Sokodé regional hospital in Togo. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2013 at the regional hospital of Sokodé among 291 PLWHA who had been on ART for at least three months. RESULTS: A total of 291 PLWHA on ART were enrolled in this study. Their mean age (± SD) was 37.3 ± 9.3 years and the sex ratio (Male/Female) was 0.4. Among them, 215 (74.6%) completed the questionnaire on HIV sero-status disclosure. We found that 131 PLWHA (60.9%) had disclosed their HIV sero-status to their sexual partners; 130 (60.5%) were aware of the HIV status of their sexual partners. In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with HIV status disclosure to sexual partners were: adherence to ART (aOR = 4.89; 95%CI = [1.52; 15.78]), sexual partner awareness of HIV sero-status (aOR = 52.73; 95%CI = [14.76; 188.36]) and marital status of PLWHA (aOR = 6.10; 95%CI = [1.74; 21.37]). CONCLUSION: This study allowed us to note that the disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners is relatively low and to document the associated factors such as adherence to ART, sexual partner awareness of HIV sero-status and marital status.