Prevalence of opportunistic infections, distribution patterns, and their possible associated risk factors / reciprocal effects among HIV patients in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52461/ijnms.v5i1.4728Abstract
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an enveloped, single stranded, positive sense RNA virus. It leads to fatal disease and condition human immunodeficiency virus disease. Human immunodeficiency virus damages the myeloid lineage cells like macrophages, CD4 T lymphocytes and dendritic cells. Ultimately, it results in severe immunodeficiency in host and ultimately leads to death in unattended individuals. Current research was designed to estimate prevalence of opportunistic infections and associated risk factors in HIV/AIDS patients. A total of 384 patients were surveyed and examined for various risk factors at different AIDS Control centers in Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, KPK and Islamabad. Data was collected through convenient sampling technique using a questionnaire designed to check the association of different risk factors with the prevalence of these opportunistic and co- infections. The overaltherevalence of opportunistic infection in AIDS patients were 65.36%. More infections were found in male patients followed by female and she male patients. Infection rate was high in patients of age 21-40 years followed by >41 years and 18-20 years, respectively. Unemployed people were found to have more infection than employed people, housewife females, labor and business-related people, respectively. Most of the people got AIDS infection from injecting drug use (IDU) followed by blood/blood products, male sex worker, spouse/partner, occupational exposure and female sex worker, respectively. People having 1st stage of HIV were more infected than 2nd stage of HIV. Infection was more in patients who were not taking antiretroviral therapy than people taking therapy. This study concluded that opportunistic infections remain highly prevalent among HIV patients in Pakistan and are significantly influenced by demographic, behavioral, socioeconomic, clinical, and healthcare-related factors.
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Opportunistic infections, Prevalence, Antiviral therapy, Risk factors, Pakistan, Public health
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sultan Ayaz, Muhammad Asif, Ume Habiba
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