Prevalence of HIV/AIDS in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia from 2016 – 2019
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SINET: Ethiop. J. Sci., 43(2):97–103, 2020 ISSN: 0379–2897 (PRINT) © College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, 2020 eISSN: 2520–7997 Prevalence of HIV/AIDS in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia from 2016 – 2019 Ketebo Gemechu Wario 1, and Tegenu Gelana Tiki 1* 1Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT : Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Retrospective study on HIV prevalence was conducted in ten health institutions in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HIV/AIDS from 2016 - 2019. All the data were collected from the HIV voluntary counseling and testing registration log book and the quarterly reporting format of the health institutions. A total number of 113,242 individuals were tested for HIV in 10 Health institutions. According to the present study, 1,005 of the study participants were HIV positive among this, 43.58% of the HIV positive individuals were males and 56.42% were females. The assessment of the current retrospective clinical data record showed 0.89% average annual prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the trend shows that HIV prevalence had slight increase within the study period. The data showed that the disease was more prevalent in the age groups of 15-49 years. Thus, health professionals in each health institution should design programs on comprehensive education on sexual and reproductive health to protect people from situations that would place them at risk of HIV infection. Keywords/Phrases: - Health institutions, HIV/AIDS, Prevalence, West Hararghe zone were reported when compared to 270, 000 women. INTRODUCTION Eastern and southern Africa was remains as a region most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic that The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS has turn into one accounting for 45% of the world’s HIV infections of the most critical public health emergencies of and 53% of people living with HIV/AIDS globally this century. Initial reports of HIV/AIDS date back (UNAIDS, 2018). to 1981 and different data propose that HIV/AIDS According to the report of FHAPCO (2018), in has existed for at least several decades. Both forms Ethiopia, the annual number of HIV infected people of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV type 1 showed declining trends since 2002. For instance, and type 2) are retroviruses capable of causing HIV/AIDS prevalence rate decreased from 3.3% in fatal HIV/AIDS infection (Schwartz and Nair, 1999). 2000 to 0.9% in 2017, and AIDS -related deaths from World Health Organization (2020) reported 83,000 deaths in 2000 to 15,600 in 2017. On the that, there were an estimated 38.0 million people other hand, HIV leftovers as a major public health living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2019. HIV/AIDS apprehension in Ethiopia with a prevalence of is a leading cause of death among women of 0.9% ranging from 0.1% to 4.8% among people reproductive age. Gender inequalities, differential aged 15–49 years in 2018. As indicated by Getiye access to service and sexual violence increase Dejenu et al., 2019, in 2005 Ethiopian Demographic woman vulnerability to HIV/AIDS; especially and Health Surveys (EDHS), in general the overall younger women are biologically more susceptible prevalence of HIV was 1.4%. The prevalence with to HIV/AIDS. Differences in the number of new women and men was 1.9 and 0.9% respectively. HIV/AIDS infections between men and women are Based on Regional category, Gambella (6.0%), more pronounced at younger ages, in 2016 and Addis Ababa (4.7%), and Harari (3.5%) had the new infections among young women (aged 15–24 highest prevalence. years) were 44% higher than they were among In the 2011 EDHS report, the prevalence of HIV men in the same age group (UNAIDS, 2017). of the total population, women and men was 1.5, In 2017, an estimated 300,000 men in sub- 1.9 and 1.0% respectively. The highest prevalence Saharan Africa died of HIV/AIDS related illnesses of HIV was reported from Gambella (6.5%) and _____________________ *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. 98 Ketebo Gemechu Wario and Tegenu Gelana Tiki followed by Addis Ababa (5.2%) and Dire Dawa census, of whom 958,861 are men and 912,845 (4.0%). According to 2011 EDHS report, HIV women; with an area of 15,065.86 square prevalence shows a slight increment but, the 2016 kilometers, West Hararghe has a population EDHS survey shows decrease in HIV prevalence, So density of 124.23. While 160,895 or 9.36% are urban far there is no a published data on the prevalence inhabitants, a further 10,567 or 0.56% are of HIV/AIDS in West Hararghe Zone. Thus, the pastoralists. A total of 395,127 households were overall objective of this study was to assess the counted in this Zone, which results in an average prevalence of HIV/AIDS in West Hararghe Zone, of 4.74 persons to a household, and 380,019 Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. housing units. The three largest ethnic groups reported were the Oromo (90.12%), the Amhara (7.24%) and the Somali (1.26%); all other ethnic MATERIALS AND METHODS groups made up 1.38% of the population. Afaan oromo was spoken as a first language by 89.47%, Description of the study area Amharic was spoken by 8.82% and Somali by The study was conducted in West Hararghe Zone, 1.2%; the remaining 0.51% spoke all other primary Oromia Regional State between September 2018 languages reported. The majority of the and February, 2019. West Hararghe Zone is located inhabitants were Muslim, with 88.05% of the in the eastern parts of Ethiopia about 316 km far population having reported they practiced that from Addis Ababa (Figure 1). Four Hospitals and belief, while 11.11% of the population professed eighty-three health centers are under West Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Among the Hararghe Zone Health Office. Based on the 2007 different health institutions found in this zone, Census conducted by the Central Statistical Bedessa, Teyfe, Boke xiqo, Mechara Kumona, Agency (CSA), this Zone has a total population of Kuni, Mi’esso, Hirna health centers, Chiro and 1,871,706, an increase of 47.16% over the 1994 Gelemso Hospitals were the study site. Figure 1. Map showing the study area (adopted from the Ethiopian GIS association, 2007 E.C). SINET: Ethiop. J. Sci., 43(2), 2020 99 Study design and the quarterly reporting formats of the ten From four hospitals and eighty-three health health institutions were first assessed to ensure the centers found in the zone two hospitals and eight quality of data. Then, data collection format sheet health centers were selected for this study. The was prepared and used for data recording. The technique of selecting health institutions for this investigators performed the overall process of data study was a purposive method (availability of a extraction. Sample with complete data was well-recorded data was the major criteria for the selected and checked daily for accuracy, selection of the above mentioned ten health completeness, and consistency. Finally, the institutions). The purposive method was preferred administrator of each health institution confirmed because of proximity of the areas, ease of access the correctness of the data extracted from and availability of well-recorded data. The study Voluntary Counseling and HIV Testing was carried out based on quantitative data that Registration Log Book and the quarterly reporting collected from the ten health institutions in the ten formats of the health institutions. woredas out of the 17 woredas. Retrospective data was collected by tally method from the “Voluntary Ethical clearance Counseling and Testing Registration Log book” This study was conducted after obtaining the and from the quarterly reporting formats of the Permission letter from Department of Zoological health institutions. Sciences, Addis Ababa University and West Hararghe Zone Health Office to use the described Study population retrospective HIV/AIDS data. Resident populations aged above six months who were visiting the ten health institutions (two hospitals and eight health centers) and tested for RESULTS HIV were subject for this study. Prevalence of HIV in the study sites Data collection and procedure Within the 4 years (2016-2019) in ten health The permission letter obtained from the institutions of West Hararghe Zone, a total of 113, Department of Zoological Sciences was submitted 242 individuals were tested (44,853 males and to West Hararghe Zone Health Office and this 68,389 females) and 1,005 of them were HIV Office send a message to woredas' Health offices to positive (438 males and 567 females) and the support this study. After permission, secondary average annual HIV prevalence rate of the West data was collected from the Voluntary Counseling Hararghe zone was 0.89 % (Table 1). and Testing Registration Log Book and from the quarterly reporting formats of the health Number of individuals tested for HIV in the study institutions. area (in the ten health institutions) Among ten health institutions, the numbers of Data analysis individuals tested at Gelemso hospital were higher The retrospective data entry and analysis was than the other health institutions. In addition, the performed using the statistical package for Social numbers of females tested for HIV at this hospital Sciences of windows SPSS (version 23.0). The were greater than the number of males. retrospective data was collected and subjected to descriptive statistics, using average values and HIV prevalence rate in the study site percentiles (prevalence rate).