HIV prevalence in pregnant women attending antenatal consultations in Senegal in 2021.

Abstract

HIV/AIDS infection is a significant public health issue, particularly among vulnerable populations like pregnant women. Despite progress in prevention, diagnosis, early management and treatment, there is still a need to strengthen efforts toward eliminating mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT). This study aimed to update the seroprevalence of HIV in pregnant women attending antenatal consultations in Senegal. Blood samples from 1,227 participants were collected from March to July 2021. The plasma samples were processed within 2 h after collection and were frozen at - 80 °C or stored at - 20 °C on site until processing. Serological tests were carried out using national diagnostic algorithms. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were used at all screening stages, starting with the DetermineTM HIV-1/2 Abott test. Positive samples were confirmed with the SD bioline HIV-1/2 3.0 test and Multisure^® MP diagnostics typing test, following the manufacturer's instructions. Statistical tests were conducted using JMP^® Pro Version 15.0.0 software. The HIV prevalence found was 1.05% [95% CI: 0.69-1.80], with variations by locality: Kédougou at 2.2% [95% CI: 1.20-4.25] and Ziguinchor at 1.5% [95% CI: 0.59-3.83]. No HIV cases were found in Dakar and Saint-Louis. Considering the national HIV prevalence and the risk of mother-to-child transmission, these results remain concerning for Senegal and stress the need to continued awareness-raising and targeted interventions in the South and South-East regions are necessary.