A mathematical model of how non-adherence to HIV management guidelines for infected newborns contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS

Abstract Each year, millions of children are born with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a quarter of whom adhere poorly to HIV treatment guidelines. This study uses a simple mathematical model to investigate the basic dynamic processes by which infected newborns under treatment progress to AIDS and contribute to its spread. The results indicate that the disease-free steady state is unstable, raising substantial concern from the public health point of view. The results show that the fraction of newborns who fail to adhere to the HIV management guidelines (30%) significantly contributes to the spread of HIV. However, the rate of HIV-positive newborns under treatment therapy is significant. This study agrees that only a small proportion of HIV-positive newborns adhere to management guidelines. These analyses should yield significant knowledge to advance our understanding of HIV infection in the early stages of life.