Prevalence, Recent Infection and Predictors of HIV Infection in Fishing Community Along the Shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania

Background: Fishing communities are a subpopulation burdened by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), mainly due to their mobility and cash income access. Strategies to mitigate the spread of HIV in fishing communities have varying outcomes. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of HIV, recent infection and associated factors among fishing communities at Lake Victoria in Tanzania.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the first quarter of 2019. The participants' information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were screened for HIV infection; the positive samples were tested for avidity and viral load to determine the recent infection. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with HIV infection.

Results: A total of 1048 individuals were included with a mean age of 34 years (SD ± 11.5). The overall prevalence of HIV was 9.1%, while 7.4% had a recent infection. Lack of formal education, being separated/divorced/widowed, transactional sex, history of sexually transmitted infections, not tested for HIV in the last 12 months had 1.7 to three times more odds of contracting HIV.

Conclusion: A proportion of HIV recent infection among the fisherfolks was relatively high, signifying the continuous spread, which is predisposed by some demographic and behavioural characteristics.