Low vaccine coverage among children born to HIV infected women in Niamey, Niger.

Background: The effect of mother's HIV-status on child vaccination is an important public health issue in countries with high HIV prevalence. We conducted a study in a primary healthcare center located in Niamey, the capital of Niger, which offers free of charge services to HIV positive and/or underprivileged mothers, with the aim of assessing: 1) vaccination coverage for children 0-36 months old, born to HIV-infected mothers, and 2) the impact of maternal HIV status on child vaccination.

Methods: Mothers of children less than 36 months old attending the center were interviewed, to collect information on vaccines administered to their child, and family's socio-demographic characteristics.

HIV infection and hepatitis B seroprevalence among antenatal clinic attendees in Niger, West Africa.

This transversal study was suggested in order to estimate the nationwide seroprevalences of HIV infection and hepatitis B among 495 pregnant women in Niger in 2008. The study detected anti-HIV antibodies with Genscreen(®) Plus HIV Ag/Ab Ultra Kit (Bio-Rad; Hercules, CA), Vironostika(®) HIV Uni-Form II Ag/Ab (bioMérieux; Marcy-l'Etoile, France), and ImmunoComb(®) II HIV 1 and 2 BiSpot (Orgenics; Yavne, Israel). HBsAg was detected by Monolisa(®) HBsAg Ultra (Bio-Rad) and ImmunoComb(®) II HBsAg (Orgenics).

Family nutritional support improves survival, immune restoration and adherence in HIV patients receiving ART in developing country.

In developing countries, access to antiretroviral treatment for persons living with HIV is still in progress. Malnutrition represents another cause of acquired immunodeficiency and premature death. This evaluation program estimated the impact of family nutritional support during the first year of antiretroviral treatment in West Africa's sub-Sahara region.