Category Archives: Health services
The burden of menstrual irregularities among women living with HIV in Nigeria: A comprehensive review
BACKGROUND: Menstrual irregularities significantly distress women living with HIV (WLHIV), impacting their reproductive health and quality of life. Although the underlying mechanism remains inconclusive, studies have outlined possible contributory factors....
Adverse perinatal outcomes associated with different classes of antiretroviral drugs in pregnant women with HIV
Objective: Women with HIV (WHIV) are at an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to women without HIV, despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is evidence that the risk of...
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HIV care continuum and associated factors in middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
INTRODUCTION: The HIV care continuum during the COVID-19 era faced specific challenges. The pandemic, affecting the delivery of HIV care, exacerbated existing healthcare inequities and vulnerabilities in middle-income countries with...
Non-pharmaceutical interventions for people living with HIV with cognitive impairment: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment (CI) in HIV is often of multifactorial causation, and remains a prominent issue in the age of effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), affecting approximately 14% of people...
The impact of undernutrition and anemia on HIV-related mortality among children on ART in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Although there have been significant advancements in providing HIV-infected children with access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the mortality rates have remained unacceptably high. Inadequate nutrient intake or absorption is...
Interventions to ensure access to and continuity of HIV care for international migrants: An evidence synthesis
International migrants, especially those belonging to key populations, face a considerable HIV burden. However, continuity of HIV care for this group is often challenged along the migration route. We assess...
“It’s like it’s the old boys club”—The age-related experiences of diverse older women living with HIV: A scoping review and consultative exercise
Objectives HIV is often under-recognized in older individuals, particularly women, despite a significant number of new cases being diagnosed in those aged >50 years. This review aimed to understand the age-related...
Acceptability and feasibility of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Southeast Asia: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: The availability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Southeast Asia remains limited compared to regions like Western Europe or North America. Additionally, little is known about how key populations...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis access, uptake and usage by young people: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators
BACKGROUND: Young people’s sexual health decision-making, including decisions to access and adhere to HIV prevention strategies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), are influenced by a range of internal and external...
Opportunistic infections among schoolchildren who were on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: The most common and severe cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV- positive children is opportunistic infections (OIs). All HIV-infected children are at risk of developing a variety of...
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV healthcare delivery for females in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), females are disproportionately impacted by HIV and face generalized but also gendered social and economic barriers to accessing HIV healthcare and services. At the outset of...
Gender disparity in health-related quality of life among people living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a key outcome indicator in antiretroviral therapy program. In Ethiopia, primary studies on gender disparity in HRQoL among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA)...
