{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T22:24:23Z","timestamp":1784845463383,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,10]],"date-time":"2024-05-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715299200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: HIV case finding is an essential component for ending AIDS, but there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of such a strategy in the pediatric population. We sought to determine HIV positivity rates among children according to entry points in Cameroon. Methods: A facility-based survey was conducted from January 2015 to December 2019 among mother\u2013child couples at various entry points of health facilities in six regions of Cameroon. A questionnaire was administered to parents\/guardians. Children were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positivity rates were compared between entry points. Associations were quantified using the unadjusted positivity ratio (PR) for univariate analyses and the adjusted positivity ratio (aPR) for multiple Poisson regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). p-values &lt; 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Overall, 24,097 children were enrolled. Among them, 75.91% were tested through the HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program, followed by outpatient (13.27%) and immunization (6.27%) services. In total, PMTCT, immunization, and outpatient services accounted for 95.39% of children. The overall positivity was 5.71%, with significant differences (p &lt; 0.001) between entry points. Univariate analysis showed that inpatient service (PR = 1.45; 95% CI: [1.08, 1.94]; p = 0.014), infant welfare (PR = 0.43; 95% CI: [0.28, 0.66]; p &lt; 0.001), immunization (PR = 0.56; 95% CI: [0.45, 0.70]; p &lt; 0.001), and PMTCT (PR = 0.41; 95% CI: [0.37, 0.46]; p &lt; 0.001) were associated with HIV transmission. After adjusting for other covariates, only PMTCT was associated with transmission (aPR = 0.66; 95% CI: [0.51, 0.86]; p = 0.002). Conclusions: While PMTCT accounts for most tested children, high HIV positivity rates were found among children presenting at inpatient, nutrition, and outpatient services and HIV care units. Thus, systematic HIV testing should be proposed for all sick children presenting at the hospital who have escaped the PMTCT cascade.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v16050752","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,10]],"date-time":"2024-05-10T05:25:47Z","timestamp":1715318747000},"page":"752","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Strategic HIV Case Findings among Infants at Different Entry Points of Health Facilities in Cameroon: Optimizing the Elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission in Low- and- Middle-Income Countries"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9073-0159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Celine Nguefeu","family":"Nkenfou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"},{"name":"Higher Teacher Training College, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Georges","family":"Nguefack-Tsague","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2896-0508","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aubin Joseph","family":"Nanfack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sylvie Agnes","family":"Moudourou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marie-Nicole","family":"Ngoufack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0286-6030","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leaticia-Grace","family":"Yatchou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elise Lobe","family":"Elong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joel-Josephine","family":"Kameni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aline","family":"Tiga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Kamgaing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nelly","family":"Kamgaing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1501-2763","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph","family":"Fokam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexis","family":"Ndjolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for research on HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Management, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaound\u00e9 I, Yaound\u00e9 P.O. Box 3077, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kellerman, S., and Essajee, S. (2010). HIV testing for children in resource-limited settings: What are we waiting for?. PLoS Med., 7.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1000285"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S197","DOI":"10.1097\/QAD.0000000000000104","article-title":"Improved access to early infant diagnosis is a critical part of a child-centric prevention of mother-to-child transmission agenda","volume":"27","author":"Ghadrshenas","year":"2013","journal-title":"Aids"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"UNAIDS (2013). UNAIDS 2013 Progress Report on the Global Plan, UNAIDS."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"UNAIDS (2012). 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