EARLY INFANT DIAGNOSIS: KEY TO ERADICATING HIV TRANSMISSION IN INFANTS

Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu*, Getrude Uzoma Obeagu and Chukwuma J. Okafor

ABSTRACT

Early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV is a cornerstone in the fight to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the virus, significantly improving survival outcomes and reducing the global burden of pediatric HIV. EID enables the detection of HIV infection in infants as early as six weeks after birth, facilitating timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality. Advances in diagnostic technologies, such as nucleic acid-based assays and point-of-care (POC) testing, have improved access to accurate and rapid HIV testing, particularly in resource-limited settings. Despite these strides, challenges such as poor follow-up, logistical barriers, and inadequate integration of EID services into maternal and child health programs persist. The clinical impact of EID lies in its ability to detect HIV infection during the critical early stages of life when untreated infants are most vulnerable to rapid disease progression. Timely ART initiation in HIV-positive infants has been shown to reduce mortality by up to 76% compared to delayed treatment. However, barriers such as limited laboratory infrastructure, high turnaround times, and insufficient community awareness hinder the optimal implementation of EID programs. Innovations such as POC molecular diagnostics and decentralized testing models have shown promise in overcoming these barriers, increasing early diagnosis rates, and linking infants to care promptly.

Keywords: Early Infant Diagnosis (EID), Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT), Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), Pediatric HIV, Global Health, HIV-Free Generation, HIV.