[Socio-demographic, biological and clinical profile of patients living with HIV during screening in a voluntary counselling and screening centre in a rural area of Mbanza-Ngungu, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2006-2011].

AIDS remains a public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, there is little information on the medical situation of the disease in rural areas. The objective of this study is to describe the HIV infection in a rural zone in the province of Bas-Congo, DRC. The medical records of patients with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, followed in the centre of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) of the general hospital Nsona-Nkulu in the city of Mbanza-Ngungu, DRC, from January 2006 to June 2011, were retrospectively reviewed. Socio-demographic profile, laboratory data and mode of detection were analyzed. During this study, 167 patients were identified as HIV positive (112 females and 54 males). The majority of patients were aged between 30 and 44 years and two out of three patients were not married; 77.3% had primary schooling. Testing for HIV was performed in 78% of patients during an episode of illness. Screening for unprotected sex was a rare event (0.7%). Co-infection with tuberculosis was present in 32% of our patients while 26% had shingles and 44.5% had sexually transmitted infection. Smoking was found slightly (14%) and alcoholism was reported in 37% of patients. Weight loss greater than 10% was found in 61% of patients. Over 80% of people tested positive for HIV were in later stages (stages 3 and 4). This study demonstrates that HIV infection remains a serious public health problem in rural zone. The factors militating for the use of awareness program for preventive measures need to be urgently addressed.