Impact of antiretroviral therapy on the biological profile of HIV infected children in Cameroon

Background: HIV infection in children is a public health problem in ressource-constrained settings. Despite the support of the international community, meeting the cost of treatment and biological follow up remains a challenge in Cameroon and the developing world as a whole. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of antiretroviral therapy on the biological profile of HIV infected children followed up at the University Teaching Hospital of Yaounde (UTHY) in Cameroon. MethodsM p= 0.007), percentage of CD4 in children below 5 years of age of 4.62% (20.12-24.75; p=0.022), absolute value of CD4 in children above 5 years of 294 cells/mm3 (151.18-445.18; p=0.011), CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.35 (0.550.90; p=0.000). Interestingly, after six months of therapy, there was a decrease in viral load of 3.90 log 10 copies/ml (5.85-1.95; p=0.006). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that immune restoration and virologic suppression in children were obtained after six months of therapy. Therefore, making biological follow up affordable to this vulnerable group is essential in our quest for a good therapeutic outcome.