Category Archives: Epidemiology
Statistical methods applied for the assessment of the HIV cascade and continuum of care: A systematic scoping review
OBJECTIVES: This scoping review aims to identify and synthesise existing statistical methods used to assess the progress of HIV treatment programmes in terms of the HIV cascade and continuum of...
Geographic and population distributions of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and HIV-2 circulating subtypes: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis (2010–2021)
BACKGROUND: HIV poses significant challenges for vaccine development due to its high genetic mutation and recombination rates. Understanding the distribution of HIV subtypes (clades) across regions and populations is crucial....
Barriers and facilitators for interventions to improve ART adherence in Sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a significant public health issue, with sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at its epicentre. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been introduced to decrease new infections and deaths,...
The association of women’s empowerment with HIV-related indicators: A pooled analysis of demographic and health surveys in sub-Saharan Africa
Background Women’s empowerment is an important factor for HIV prevention, but the association with HIV-related indicators has never been quantified. In this study, we examined the association between women’s empowerment...
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV patients in Ghana: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Maintaining a high level of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to limiting rapid viral replication, drug resistance, and viral transmission. However, ART adherence remains a major challenge in...
Odds of HIV among incarcerated drug users: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Asian countries
Background: HIV makes up a large portion of infectious diseases globally. People injecting drugs in prisons are at high risk for contracting HIV infection. Prisons house ~10.2 million people globally,...
Virologic response to Dolutegravir plus Lamivudine in people with suppressed human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and historical M184V/I: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: To investigate the impact of the M184V/I mutation on virologic response to dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG + 3TC) in suppressed-switch populations, a meta-analysis was performed using virologic outcomes from...
Health facility-based interventions and the uptake of contraception among people living with HIV: A systematic review & meta-analysis
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The prong 2 of 4 prong strategy introduced by the World Health Organization aims at averting unintended pregnancies among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This systematic review aimed...
HIV, hepatitis B & C in people who inject drugs in India: A systematic review of regional heterogeneity & overview of opioid substitution treatment
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: This systematic review evaluates the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) burden among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in India. In...
Brief interventions for alcohol misuse among people living with HIV: A meta-analysis
Background: One-third of people living with HIV (PLHIV) have alcohol misuse or alcohol use disorders which negatively affect course and outcome of HIV. Objectives: The meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effectiveness of...
Adherence, adverse drug reactions, and discontinuation associated with adverse drug reactions of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: A meta-analysis based on cohort studies
Objective: Evaluate the profiles of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) adherence, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and discontinuation associated with ADRs to provide information for further PEP program improvement and increase adherence to...
Risky sexual behaviour among HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behaviour raises serious public health concerns. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours among adults living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa was unknown. This systematic review determined...
