Knowledge and Attitude of Caregivers in Paediatrics’ HIV Management and Viral Suppression in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practices of caregivers of children living with HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus) in Lagos State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 caregivers of children living with HIV who reside and are receiving treatment in a government health facility in Lagos State. The Sampling technique was purposive sampling based on some inclusion and exclusion criteria, data collection was administered by telephone interview, and the questionnaire was deployed using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) (Kobo Collect) for ease and time management. The study discovered that caring for children living with HIV is demanding. As most of the caregivers are married, and self-employed. The majority of the children living with HIV in this study have been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 5 years. Most caregivers are parents of the infected child/children living with HIV. Additionally, most caregivers had a good knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, but they had limited knowledge of paediatric HIV management and had negative attitudes towards HIV. They also reported experiencing stigma and discrimination. These findings suggest that there is a need to improve the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers in order to improve the management of paediatric HIV, Interventions should be designed to address the stigma and discrimination experienced by caregivers. Accurate information should be provided to caregivers about paediatric HIV and paediatric HIV management. The results from this study may not be generalizable to other settings as this study was conducted in Lagos State. In addition, the study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to bias. Keywords: Attitude, Caregiver, HIV, Knowledge, Practice and Viral Load.