Correlating the Prevalence and Severity of Anaemia amongst HIV Infected Adults Males and Females Attending the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Cameroon

Anaemia is an independent risk factor for disease progression and death in persons with HIV infection. The prevalence and severity of anaemia was therefore correlated amongst 300 Cameroonian adult males and females who were diagnosed with the HIV infection at the Bamenda Regional Hospital. Four different haemoglobin concentrations were used as cut off points to categorize anaemia into mild anaemia (Hb ≤ 10g/dl); clear – cut anaemia (Hb ≤ 9g/dl); severe anaemia (Hb ≤7g/dl) and critically severe anaemia (Hb ≤ 5g/dl). A cell – Dyn 3200 blood analyzer was used to determine the haemoglobin concentration of the different groups of patients. Results obtained showed that the mean haemoglobin concentration of the HIV infected males (10.08 ± 0.4g/dl) significantly decreased (p <0.05) compared to the mean haemoglobin concentration of the HIV free control (14.0 ± 0.14g/dl). The mean haemoglobin concentration of the HIV infected females (8.76 ± 10.5g/dl) also decreased significantly (p <0.05) compared to the HIV free control (12.1 ± 0.8g/dl). The prevalence of mild anaemia, clear – cut anaemia, severe anaemia and critically severe anaemia were 43.3%, 40%, 4.7% and 0% in males and 25.3%, 60%, 4.7% and 10% in females respectively. The results obtained from this study indicates that the severity of anaemia in higher in HIV infected adult females than adult males attending the Bamenda Regional Hospital.