Prevalence and Management of Helminthiasis and Virological Outcomes among HIV Co-infected Under-fives: A Case Study of Mwananyamala Hospital, Tanzania

Background: Helminthiasis (HL) is a parasitic infection caused by worms that infect human body. The disease affects different regions of the world, but it is more prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries. A strong association between immunological status and helminthiasis among under-fives living with HIV infection (ULHI) has been reported.

Aim: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and management of helminthiasis and virological outcomes among ULHI receiving health care at the Care and Treatment Centre (CTC) located at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methodology: This was a retrospective and descriptive cross-sectional study involving scrutiny of the clinical records of ULHI, who sought medical attention at MRRH. The clinical records were randomly selected and examined, focusing on the prevalence rate of HL, the co-management of HIV and HL infections, the virological outcome based on the HIV viral load, and other relevant data.

Results: A total of 499 ULHI were involved; of those, 254 (50.9%) were females and 245 (49.5%) were males. About 49% of the ULHI had HL. The prevalence of HL and the age of ULHI were both associated with the virological outcome (HVL). ULHI with lower HVL had a relatively greater HL prevalence. The most widely utilized antihelmintics were ABZ, MBZ and IVE, in that order. The most frequently prescribed drugs for co-infections were ABZ-ALL and MBZ-TLD combinations, which exhibited lower HVL.

Conclusion: Helminthiasis is still prevalent among ULHI, and use of prophylactic antihelminthics was associated with virological success (lower HVL). The prevalence of HL was relatively higher among ULHI with lower HVL.