Category Archives: Health services
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation, continuation and adherence among pregnant and postpartum women receiving antenatal and postnatal care: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: In 2023, one-fourth of new HIV acquisitions in children globally resulted from vertical transmission following incident HIV during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil and...
Barriers and facilitators to engagement with the PrEP care continuum among sexual minority men in China: A systematic review
Sexual minority men (SMM) in China are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, yet utilization of HIV prevention services, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), remains low. This systematic review summarizes...
Approaches used to monitor the effectiveness of community-led monitoring programmes: A scoping review to inform HIV programmes
INTRODUCTION: Community-led monitoring (CLM) for HIV is a technique implemented by local community-led organizations and groups that systematically gather data about HIV services to advocate for improvement. This review was...
Strategies for improving linkage to HIV care after hospital discharge among adults living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Purpose Despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), nearly a quarter of people living with HIV (PLHIV) die within six months after hospital discharge due to complications from AIDS-related illnesses....
Mortality and associated factors among children with the double burden of human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis in African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction The dual burden of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) in children is leading to significant mortality. Although primary studies have reported wide ranges of mortality rates among...
Interventions to support breastfeeding among mothers living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding improves infant survival, especially in low-resource settings. Although the risk of postnatal transmission is below 1% among virologically suppressed mothers living with HIV, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates and...
Motivations, facilitators, and barriers of donation-based interventions in HIV and sexually transmitted infection research: A systematic review
IMPORTANCE: Donation-based prosocial interventions involve someone receiving a free health service and then distributing or donating to support health services for others; examples within the HIV and sexually transmitted infection...
Access and utilization of HIV/STI testing services among men who have sex with men during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review
Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to bear the disproportionate burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic...
Integration of mental health and HIV service delivery in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of effectiveness
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mental health have complex, bidirectional impacts. Integrated service delivery, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources are most limited and the burden of...
Breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and practices of HIV-positive women in Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is essential for ensuring the health and survival of children, particularly in regions where diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition are common causes of child mortality. In sub-Saharan Africa, over...
