HIV Co-infection in Tuberculosis Patients Monitored at the Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Regional Hospital of Ngaoundere

HIV often paves the way for tuberculosis. These two diseases, tuberculosis and the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (TB/HIV), form a close association. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV infection among tuberculosis patients diagnosed at the Tuberculosis Diagnostic and Treatment Center (TDC) of the Ngaoundere Regional Hospital (HRN) and to identify factors associated with TB-HIV co-infection. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study over a period of two years, from January 1st, 2022, to December 31st, 2023, by utilizing the database of the TDC service of this hospital. The study focused on patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who had also been tested for HIV. A total of 550 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were recorded, including 104 cases of co-infection. The prevalence of HIV co-infection among tuberculosis patients was 18.9%. Males were more affected, accounting for 63% of the cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7. The age groups [30-40[ years and [40- 50[ years were the most represented, followed by the [20-30[ years group, with respective percentages of 11.64%, 11.64%, and 4.91% (p < 0.0001). All patients were treated with anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral therapy as indicated. Eleven patients were lost to follow-up, representing 2.00% (p = 0.000), and four patients resumed treatment, accounting for 0.73% (p = 0.024). Mortality was higher among tuberculosis patients not infected with HIV (2.00%) than among those co-infected (0.91%). In conclusion, this study highlights a significant prevalence of TB-HIV co-infection among tuberculosis patients, underscoring the importance of strengthening screening and integrated management strategies for these two diseases.

Key-words: Prevalence, Co-infection, Tuberculosis, HIV, TDC