Description
HIV and AIDS has become a health challenge globally. This research was a cross sectional analytical survey to assess knowledge on existence and benefits of Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) at Kericho County Referral Hospital (KCRH). Data was collected using pretested questionnaires which were administered to the postnatal mothers/caretakers of HIV exposed children. Of the 254 respondents, 201 (79.1%) were biological mothers to the children, the rest were caretakers. The children were aged between 1 and 18 months with a mean age of 9.62 months. Majority of the respondents had adequate knowledge of adult HIV infection with regard to what HIV is, routes of transmission, diagnosis and treatment. Knowledge of paediatric HIV infection was however inadequate with only 132 (52%) respondents who knew the approximate rate of HIV transmission from mother to child and 130 (51.2%) who knew about the availability of paediatric Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Both adult and paediatric HIV knowledge was better with increasing level of education. The younger respondents were also more knowledgeable than the older ones. Those who knew about existence of EID were 233 (91%) of whom 119 (about 50%) knew about it in the antenatal period. Knowledge of availability of EID was high with 207 (81.5%) respondents stating that they knew at least one healthcare facility that offered the services. There was also adequate knowledge on the benefits of EID with 236 (92.9%) who knew and cited the benefits. The children who had utilized EID were only 75 (29.5%). In conclusion, EID knowledge is still poor in Kericho County and it influences utilization of these services. This study recommends that improving maternal education would improve EID uptake.
| Key words | MATERNAL, CAREGIVE, KNOWLEDGE, HIV, HIV TESTING |
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