Theme: Models of Care Year: 2022
Background:
Contact tracing is common practice in other diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, COVID-19) but less so in HIV and
Hepatitis, this approach was used to follow up and identify possible HIV transmission by testing sexual
and biological partners of index clients.
The paucity of sexual reproductive health information and services within riverine communities in Ondo
State, Nigeria has implication for increasing the spread of HIV/AIDS as there could be continual spread to
healthy individuals from positive patients who are ignorant of their status. Hence, the study was to trace
transmission of HIV as a strategy to improve identification of people living with HIV who did not know
their HIV status.
The study focused on using HIV contract tracing to improve access to testing, counseling, and access to
treatment for both HIV negative and HIV-infected individuals.
Methods:
Fifteen (15) subjects diagnosed with HIV, referred to as index clients were randomly selected from 20
positive patients who consented to refer their children and sexual partners for HIV Testing Service (HTS).
Sixty-two (62) subjects (43 females and 19 males) between the ages of 2 and 55years consisted of sexual
partners and children of 15 subjects were tested.
The data of the 15 clients were collected from Igbokoda General Hospital in Ondo State, Nigeria between
September, and December 2021.
Results:
Of the total examined subjects (62), 5 (8.06%) were positive for HIV. A Three (3) years old girl and her
mother were from the same index patient, while Three (3) were sexual partners of 3 index patients.
Conclusion:
The tracing of children and sexual partners of patients diagnosed with HIV, otherwise known as contact
tracing, yielded additional diagnosis of HIV in 5 (8.06%) people.
This strategy is effective and could be cost effective method in tracing HIV and Hepatitis cases.
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
Nothing to disclose.