Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
CD4/CD8 ratio and CD8+ T-cell count as prognostic markers for non-AIDS mortality in people living with HIV. A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: In people living with HIV (PLHIV), the CD4/CD8 ratio has been proposed as a useful marker for non-AIDS events. However, its predictive ability on mortality over CD4 counts, and...
Interventions, barriers, and facilitators to address the sexual problems of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men living with HIV: A rapid scoping review
Sexual problems are common among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) after diagnosis with HIV. However, these are often overlooked in care and research, where...
Experiences of people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries and their perspectives in self-management: A meta-synthesis
INTRODUCTION: Availability of anti-retroviral treatment has changed HIV in to a manageable chronic disease, making effective self-management essential. However, only a few studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) reported...
Mental health burden among females living with HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, are common in women and young girls living with HIV/ AIDS particularly in low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries where women’s vulnerability to psychiatric...
Disparities in COVID-19 mortality amongst the immunosuppressed: A systematic review and meta-analysis for enhanced disease surveillance
Background Effective disease surveillance, including that for COVID-19, is compromised without a standardised method for categorising the immunosuppressed as a clinical risk group. Methods We conducted a systematic review and...
Incidence and risks of HIV infection, medication options, and adverse effects in accidental needle stick injuries: A narrative review
Accidental needle sticks can lead to infections, including HIV. As scientists have learned more about HIV and its replicative physiology, identification of target sites and novel medications have been developed....
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein among people living with HIV on highly active antiretroviral therapy: A systemic review and meta-analysis
The pathological consequences of inflammation persist in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), regardless of the positive outcomes of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The current systematic review...
Impact of harm minimization interventions on reducing blood-borne infection transmission and some injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs: An overview and evidence gap mapping
Background This study aimed to synthetize the evidence on the effectiveness of harm minimization interventions on reducing blood-borne infection transmission and injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWID) through...
The safety and immunogenicity of vaccines administered to pregnant women living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants have a higher burden of infectious diseases related morbidity and mortality compared with HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU). Immunization of pregnant women living with...
Association between genital mycoplasmas (Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis) and HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Several studies have reported the occurrence of genital mycoplasmas (Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Mycoplasma fermentans) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but findings are conflicting. The aim...
Effectiveness of linkage to care and prevention interventions following HIV self-testing: A global systematic review and meta-analysis
Over 38.4 million people were living with HIV globally in 2021. The HIV continuum includes HIV testing, diagnosis, linkage to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), and retention in care. An important...
Global prevalence of depressive symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the past five years
A clear and accurate assessment of depressive symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the past five years is essential to help develop reasonable and sound interventions to improve...
