Geographic and temporal stability of HIV seroprevalence among pregnant women in Bujumbura, Burundi.

OBJECTIVE

To establish whether HIV seroprevalence in Bujumbura is stable or continuing to increase.

METHODS

HIV seroprevalence data among pregnant women from 1986 were compared with comparable data from 1991-1992.

RESULTS

HIV seroprevalence among antenatal clinic attendees at three sites was 10.5, 28.0 and 11.9% in 1986, compared with 7.7, 25.6 and 12.4%, respectively, in 1991-1992. A weighted least squares analysis showed significant differences in HIV seroprevalence between the different sites (chi 2, 71.71; P > 0.0001), but no evidence of any differences between the 1986 and the 1991-1992 prevalence levels (chi 2, 0.51; P = 0.6).

CONCLUSIONS

Bujumbura appears to be in the endemic phase of the spread of HIV. The stable geographic variation among clinic populations in Bujumbura suggests the need for focused interventions, and a general need for surveillance data to be gathered from numerous sites so to identify those with the highest incidence of HIV infection.