Explanation for original studies
A total of 473 articles were retrieved from PubMed (n=186), Google Scholar (n=244), Web of Science (n=8), Scopus (n=18), and Addis Ababa University’s’ online source library (n=1) and 16 in other sources. A total of 326 articles have remained after duplicate studies were removed. Of which, 126 were rejected just by reading only the titles. Of the remaining 90 studies, 51 were excluded after reading their abstracts. Full text copies of the remaining 39 studies that potentially fulfilled the inclusion criteria were assessed. After further screening, 12 papers were retained for inclusion, and all were published in the English language. Based on the predefined criteria and quality assessment, only 12 articles were included for the final analysis (Figure1).
Characteristics of the included studies
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, 12 studies with the cohort size of 4,935 pediatric patients on ART were included. Searches from the databases were done between 2012 and 2018. All of the studies which were included in this review had a cohort study design. Three of the studies were conducted in the Amhara region(18-20) and the other three of the studies were conducted in SNNPR region(21-23), while two in Addis Ababa (16, 27)and Oromia(28, 29), one in Tigray(30) and one in Harari(31). The sample size of the studies ranging from 96 (28) to 757(27)(table 1).
Table 1: Characteristics of the included studies
Author/year
|
Area
|
Region
|
Total sample
|
Incidence of mortality
|
Response
Rate
|
Media follow up
|
Dumessa et al/2015
|
Harer
|
Harari
|
305
|
3.8
|
100
|
30
|
Koye et al/2012
|
Bahir Dar
|
Amhara
|
579
|
4
|
94.81
|
22
|
Gebremedhin et al./2013
|
Mekelle
|
Tigray
|
432
|
1.4
|
96.3
|
36
|
etsanet W. et al/2009
|
Jimma
|
Oromia
|
96
|
2.1
|
100
|
24
|
Arage et al./2018
|
Debre Tabor
|
Amhara
|
462
|
5.2
|
92.2
|
44
|
Sidamo et al./2018
|
Arba Minch
|
SNNP
|
421
|
15.3
|
100
|
41
|
Kedir et al./2014
|
Adama
|
Oromia
|
560
|
2.06
|
100
|
47
|
Dubeet al./2017
|
Addis Ababa
|
Addis Ababa
|
757
|
12.4
|
100
|
9
|
G. Ebissa et al./2015
|
Addis Ababa
|
Addis Ababa
|
556
|
3.5
|
100
|
-
|
Tachbele et al./2016
|
Jinka
|
SNNP
|
350
|
1.75
|
100
|
-
|
Bitew et al./2017
|
Wolaita
|
SNNP
|
260
|
21.02
|
87.6
|
-
|
Atalel et al2018
|
Gondar
|
Amhara
|
271
|
3.27
|
100
|
4
|
Publication bias and heterogeneity
The presence of heterogeneity and publication bias was evaluated within included studies. Subsequently, there was no any significant heterogeneity across the included studies in this meta-analysis (I2 = 44.2%). We found that there was publication bias among the included studies, as depicted by the asymmetrical distribution of our funnel plot (Figure 2). Likewise, the result of Egger’s test was statistically significant for the presence of publication bias (P = 0.004). To reduce and adjust publication bias, trim and fill analysis was also performed(figure 4).
Mortality among children on Antiretroviral treatment
The current meta-analysis using the random-effects model showed that the estimated overall incidence of mortality in antiretroviral treated HIV/AIDS -Positive Children was 6.02 (95% CI: 3.7, 8.2) per 100 person-years of observation with the low level of heterogeneity (I 2 =44.2%, p = 0.64%) (Figure 3).
A total of 9.2 % (95%CI: 6.8, 11.53) was died during the follow-up time (Table 2).
Table 2: the proportion of mortality in antiretroviral treated HIV/AIDS -Positive Children
Author/year
|
Proportion (95% CI)
|
Weight (%)
|
Dumessa et al (2015)
|
9.2 (5.9, 12.4)
|
8.15
|
Koye et al (2012)
|
7.5 (5.3, 9.7)
|
8.90
|
Gebremedhin et al. (2013)
|
4.81(2.75, 6.8)
|
9.0
|
etsanet W. et al (2009)
|
7.3 (2.1, 12.5)
|
6.53
|
Arage et al. (2018)
|
22.9 (18.9,26.9)
|
7.54
|
Sidamo et al. (2018)
|
15.4(11.9, 18.8)
|
7.9
|
Kedir et al., (2014)
|
7.6(5.4, 9.8)
|
8.91
|
Dube et al. (2017)
|
6.7 (4.9,8.5)
|
9.2
|
G. Ebissa et al. (20 15
|
10.4(7.9, 12.9)
|
8.7
|
Tachbele et al. (2016)
|
10 (6.9, 13.1)
|
8.2
|
Bitew et al. (2017)
|
6.8(3.5, 10.1)
|
8.13
|
Atalel et al. (2018)
|
4.02 (1.7, 6.4)
|
8.8
|
Pooled estimate
|
9.2(6.8,11.53)
|
9.2
|
Subgroup analysis
Subgroup analysis was employed based on region and sample size of the study participants, study design. A higher incidence of HIV/AIDS-related mortality was 12.51% in SNNP (95%CI: 0.32, 24.7). But there is no ay difference in mortality with sample size (Table 3).
Table 3: Subgroup analysis with the region and sample size of the study participants
Subgroup analysis
|
Category
|
The pooled incidence of mortality (95%CI)
|
% Weight
|
p-value
|
Heterogeneity
(I2 )
|
Sample size
|
<400
|
5.54 (1.91 ,9.17)
|
39.78
|
0.32
|
38
|
>400
|
5.99(3.18 ,8.82)
|
60.22
|
0.64
|
5.39
|
Region
|
Addis Ababa
|
7.9 (0.81, 16.6)
|
17.25
|
0.34
|
67.8
|
Amhara
|
4.131 (3.03, 5.23
|
25.9
|
0.439
|
0.0
|
SNNP
|
12.51(0.32, 24.7)
|
22.28
|
0.61
|
65.1
|
Oromia
|
2.16 (0.97, 3.15)
|
17.01
|
0.98
|
97
|
Tigray
|
1.4(0.27, 2.5)
|
9.1
|
0.00
|
-
|
Hareri
|
3.8(1.65, 5.9
|
8.5
|
0.001
|
-
|
Meta-regression
To examine the likely causes of disparity across studies, we conduct meta-regression ana-lysis using publication year and sample size. But the result showed there is no any significant heterogeneity (Table 4).
Table 4: Meta-regression results of the included studies.
|
Coefficient
|
Standard error
|
T
|
P-value
|
95% CI
|
Publication year
|
1.19.
|
0.68
|
1.74
|
0.12
|
0.35, 2.73
|
Total sample size
|
0.001
|
0.011
|
0.17
|
0.87
|
0.02 0.02
|
Trim ad fill(figure 4)
Sensitivity analysis
Sensitivity analysis indicated that the impact of each findings on pooled estimate was insignificant, telling the robustness of aggregated estimate. Hence, the pooled mortality among HIV infected children on ART was constant and unaffected when assessed by removing one study at a time which implies no any single study significantly affect the pooled mortality result of the current meta-analysis (figure 5).
Predictors of Mortalities
WHO clinical staging
In this review pooled effect of six studies showed being on WHO clinical stage III/ IV found to be at higher risk (AHR=5.346; 95% CI: 3.1–,9.2.6) to death as compared to stage II/I. Having a Progressive WHO staging (stage III and IV) at the baseline was 5.36 times more likely to die than the WHO clinical stage I and II(figure 6).
Baseline CD4 Cells count
Baseline CD4 Cells count was also another contributing factor to the incidence of mortality in antiretroviral treated HIV/AIDS -positive children. The pooled hazard ratio of patients with low CD4 cell count at the initiation of HAART was 2.46 (95 %CI: 1.8, 3.2) (figure 7).
Opportunistic infection
The association between Opportunistic infection and the incidence of mortality was reported in four articles. The current meta-analysis showed that the likelihood of death among HIV/AIDS patients with opportunistic infection at the baseline was 3.43(95%CI: 1.08, 10.8)(figure 8).
Anemia
The pooled hazard ratio of children in antiretroviral treated HIV/AIDS patients with low hemoglobin levels at initiation of HAART was 2.76 (95% CI: 1.9–3.9). The pooled hazard ratio of children diagnosed with anemia had 2.76 times the risk of death compared to its counterpart (Figure 9).
Nutritional status
Having Malnutrition were factors significantly associated with mortality in antiretroviral treated HIV/AIDS -Positive children mortality. Those malnourished children at the baseline were 1.9 (95%CI: 1.3, 2.6) times more likely to die (figure 10).
Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy (CPT)
Based on the current meta-analysis, those receiving iron therapy were 66% less likely to die as compared to those who had not taken CPT (AHR: 0.34, 95% CI 0.05, 0.63). (figure 11).