Epidemiology of adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV infection in a tertiary institution in Lagos State, Nigeria

Background: Nigeria is the only country with upward trend in HIV-related deaths in adolescents. Despite the high burden of adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV infection with increasing mortality solely in Nigeria, review of adolescents with perinatal HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa by the Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) Global Cohort Collaboration that excluded those in Nigeria creates a lacunae in knowledge that necessitates this current study. Methods: This is a retrospective study on adolescents (aged ten to nineteen years) enrolled in HIV paediatric clinic/adolescent clinic in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja (LASUTH). Data such as anthropometry, clinical, laboratory data and outcomes of study subjects are reported. Results: A total of 269 adolescents were enrolled in the adolescent clinic. In all, 81% and 7.4% are still in care and lost-to-follow-up respectively. Over three-quarter are virally suppressed (78%) and 15.2% have been switched to second line antiretroviral. Mortality rate recorded was 3.71%. Conclusions: Lost-to-follow-up and mortality rate in adolescents receiving care in our centre is high. There is need for more effective and focused strategy that will address challenges facing adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV.