Lessons Learned from the Impact of HIV Status Disclosure to Children after First-Line Antiretroviral Treatment Failure in Kinshasa, DR Congo

HIV status disclosure to children remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. For sociocultural reasons, parents often delay disclosure with subsequent risks to treatment compliance and the child’s psychological well-being. This article assesses the effects of HIV disclosure on second-line ART compliance after first-line failure. We conducted a retrospective study of 52 HIV-positive children at Kalembelembe Pediatric Hospital in Kinshasa who were unaware of their HIV status and had failed to respond to the first-line ART. Before starting second-line ART, some parents agreed to disclosure. All children were followed before and during the second-line ART. Conventional usual descriptive statistics were used. For analysis, the children were divided into two groups: disclosed to (n = 39) and not disclosed to (n = 13). Before starting the second-line ART, there was no difference in CD4 count between the two groups (p = 0.28). At the end of the first year of second-line ART, the difference was statistically significant between the two groups with regard to CD4% (p < 0.001) and deaths (p = 0.001). The children disclosed to also reported fewer depressive symptoms post-disclosure and had three times fewer clinic visits. HIV status disclosure to children is an important determinant of ART compliance and a child’s psychological well-being.