HIV/Malaria Coinfection among HIV-Infected Individuals in Calabar, Nigeria

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Malaria are two main global public health threats that dent development in low and middle-income countries. This research assessed the HIV/malaria coinfection among HIV-infected individuals in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. A total of 241 individuals living with HIV from Calabar, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 4-67 years with a mean age of 38.4 years. Plasma samples were analyzed for HIV and Malaria using ELISA. The CD4 count was determined using the Partec CyFlow® Counter. Plasma viral loads (PVL) were obtained using the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 assay. It was observed that 22.4% of them were in the 36-40 years age range. Most (71.4%) of the HIV-infected individuals were females while 28.6% were males. An overall prevalence of HIV/malaria coinfection in Calabar, Cross River State was 3.0%. A higher HIV/Malaria coinfection rate was observed among age groups 500 cells/μl (2.1%) while 200-349 cells/μl showed zero prevalence. Higher HIV/malaria coinfection was observed among subjects with PVL >5000 copies/mL (4.1%) compared to 40- 5000 copies/mL (3.0%) and <40 copies/mL (1.3%). This study confirmed the presence of HIV/malaria coinfection in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. This, therefore, emphasizes the need for a well-structured approach to the management of HIV/Malaria co-infection.