Socio-Demographic Distribution of HIV Infections in Ondo and Akure Local Government Areas of Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with a significant impact on the country’s public health and economy. Despite interventions, there continues to be an increase in the incidences of HIV infection in Nigeria. Understanding the trends of its occurrence across various factors may be essential to guiding decisions on subsequent interventions for positive outcomes.  This study examines the socio-demographic distribution of HIV infections among individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Akure and Ondo Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ondo State, Nigeria. 348 participants receiving care at HIV care and support clinics in Mother and Child hospitals and State specialist Hospitals in Ondo and Akure cities of Ondo State were enrolled. The sample comprised 171 individuals from Akure South, 55 from Akure North, 75 from Ondo West, and 47 from Ondo East. Participants' ages ranged from 0 to 70 years, with a mean age of 35.5 ± 13.2 years; adults aged 31–50 years accounted for the majority (60%), while children ≤15 years constituted 16%. Women predominated in the cohort (74%), and most participants were married (63%). Educational attainment showed that 58% had at least secondary education. Occupation data revealed that artisans and traders (47.7%) were the dominant group, followed by students (15.2%), civil servants (7.5%), and farmers (4.0%), while 25.6% were unemployed. Although statistically significant factors associated with HIV occurrence among the study participants are employment and type of residence, the age profile of the patients shows clearly that Ondo state has a good number of HIV patients excluding no age group, a pointer to likely instance of mother-to-child transmission of the infection. The socio-demographic details were extensively discussed offering valuable insights for targeted interventions and public health planning.