HIV work package pressing for progress against the virus with projects in 9 countries

The HIV work package, led by Professors Ndeye Coumba Toure-Kane and Almoustapha Maiga, is spearheading three pivotal projects across nine West African countries (Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Togo, Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Guinea) as part of WANETAM 3.

In Nigeria, the team at the Institute of Human Virology (IHVN), under the leadership of Dr. Sophia Osawe and study coordinator, Tolu Adenekan, launched a study to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of a dolutegravir (DTG)-based first-line regimen in children and adolescents living with HIV. The study, which began in February 2024, has already enrolled 102 participants.

According to the 2020 UNAIDS report, 1.8 million children under 15 years old are living with HIV, with 80% of them residing in Sub-Saharan Africa. In early 2019, initial clinical trial data raised concerns about a potential link between DTG and birth defects in infants born to mothers who used the drug during conception. However, subsequent large-scale trials have demonstrated that DTG is not associated with such risks, leading the WHO to update its antiretroviral treatment guidelines in 2019.

This study aims to assess how effective the DTG regimen is as a first-line treatment in children and adolescents, as it has proven highly successful in adult populations. Preliminary findings are promising, suggesting that the DTG-based regimen could significantly improve treatment outcomes in this younger population. Additionally, the team is investigating other factors, such as behavioral and sociodemographic influences, that may impact the effectiveness of DTG in children and adolescents.

The group’s abstract has been selected for presentation at the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA) 2024 conference, which will be held in November 2024 in Abuja.