Category Archives: Epidemiology
A global meta-analysis of gonorrhoea and chlamydia prevalence among men who have sex with men from 2000 to 2022
IntroductionWe conducted a global systematic review and meta-analysis of gonorrhoea and chlamydia among men who have sex with men (MSM) from 2000 to 2022.MethodsWe searched four databases to identify studies...
Sensory neuropathy and associated factors among patients living with human immuno-deficiency virus in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction Despite high prevalence of sensory neuropathy among individuals living with HIV, there is no comprehensive information regarding variables that determine sensory neuropathy onset among the patients who attended health...
Incidence and predictors of mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition admitted to therapeutic feeding units in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective To estimate the mortality rate and identify predictors of mortality among under-five children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) admitted to therapeutic feeding units (TFUs) in Ethiopia. Methods We searched...
The global prevalence of an factors associated with parasitic coinfection in people living with viruses: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Coinfection with parasites and viruses can exacerbate disease transmission, outcomes and therapy. This study searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and JSTOR databases for publications on the prevalence of...
Systematic review exploring the burden of sexually transmissible infections and bloodborne viruses in refugees and asylum seekers: Insights to inform policy and practice
BACKGROUND: In 2022, the number of refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) have reached an all-time high of 40.7 million globally. The surge in RAS, coupled with their limited access to...
Sexually transmitted infection prevalence and testing coverage among people who inject drugs: A systematic review
Background: Individual- and structural-level factors place people who inject drugs at excess risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). We reviewed existing evidence on STI prevalence and testing coverage among this...
Effects of test-and-treat versus preexposure prophylaxis on elimination of HIV transmission: Analysis of 24 HIV prevention trials
INTRODUCTION: In 2023, 28.8 million (72%) of 39.9 million people with HIV (PWH) worldwide were on treatment with viral suppression, while 11.1 million (28%) people had viraemia with the risk...
Association between baseline HIV-1 DNA levels and clinical outcomes in people living with HIV: A meta-analysis of cohort studies
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of digital communication tools (e.g., text message reminders) on improving daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence. Searching PubMed, Embase, Web of...
Analysis of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on syphilis in susceptible populations: Me who have sex with men, people living with HIV, and patients with gestational and congenital syphilis—A narrative review
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a public health crisis that significantly impacted sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly syphilis. However, data on syphilis incidence during the pandemic remains inconsistent globally. Key groups...
Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and its associated factors in Ethiopia: A recent systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and is a growing concern in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Different studies have been...
Better together?: A systematic review of he effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions that build or strengthen social ties
Although social relationships impact health and social dynamics play a key role in shaping HIV vulnerability, results from intentional efforts to build or strengthen social relationships have not been synthesized...
Magnitude and characteristics of unsuppressed HIV viral load in children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: HIV/AIDS remains a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children and adolescents, with a substantial proportion of people with HIV having unsuppressed viral loads despite the availability of...