# Incidence and Risk Factors of Tuberculosis among Children Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Northwest, Ethiopia

## TL;DR

This study examines how often children on HIV treatment in Ethiopia get tuberculosis and identifies risk factors like poor adherence and TB exposure.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific risk factors for TB in HIV-positive children on ART in Ethiopia.

## Key findings

- The TB incidence rate was 3.37 cases per 100 person-years among children on ART.
- Risk factors included TB contact history, missed isoniazid therapy, advanced HIV stage, poor adherence, and incomplete vaccination.
- TB incidence was highest in the first year of ART enrollment.

## Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health issue, especially for children living with HIV/AIDS. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the incidence of TB among children on Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and its predictors in Northwest Ethiopia.

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 428 children on ART using simple random sampling from patient registries (2011–2020). STATA statistical software was used for data analysis. The Cox regression model was used to explore predictors of TB infection.

The study found that the incidence density of TB was 3.37 cases per 100 person-years. The risk factors for TB incidence among children on ART included a history of contact with active TB cases, missed isoniazid preventive therapy, advanced HIV/AIDS stages according to WHO clinical staging, poor drug adherence, and incomplete vaccination status.

The incidence of TB among children on ART is high, particularly within the first year of enrollment. Children with incomplete vaccination, poor adherence, missed isoniazid prophylaxis, a history of TB contact, and advanced WHO clinical stage are at an increased risk of TB incidence.