Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Contribution of low CD4 cell counts and high HIV viral load to the efficacy of preferred first-line antiretroviral regimens for treating HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
We assessed whether low CD4 count and high viral load (VL) affect the response to currently preferred ART. We performed a systematic review of randomized, controlled clinical trials that analyzed...
Scoping review of sexual and reproductive healthcare for men in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region: A handful of paradoxes?
BACKGROUND: No study appraised the knowledge gaps and factors impacting men’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The current scoping review undertook this task....
Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumonia: A review of management in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-HIV immunocompromised patients
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is an opportunistic fungal infection that was mainly associated with pneumonia in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. There has been a decline in Pneumocystis...
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use on a global scale among men who have sex with men: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Knowledge of the proportion of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and the specific gaps in PrEP use can stimulate enhanced focus on HIV...
Prediction models for cardiovascular disease risk among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: HIV continues to be a major global health issue. The relative risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among people living with HIV (PLWH) was 2.16 compared to non-HIV-infections. The prediction of...
Health inequalities in infectious diseases: A systematic overview of reviews
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic overview of reviews was to synthesise available evidence on inequalities in infectious disease based on three dimensions of inequalities; inclusion health groups, protected characteristics...
Neurocognitive impairment and associated factors among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis of African studies
BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive impairment (NCI) is one of the most common neurological complications in HIV-positive individuals, particularly in resource-limited countries. Neurocognitive impairments can occur at any stage of HIV infection, although...
A systematic review of the association between smoking exposure and HPV-related cervical cell abnormality among women living with HIV: Implications for prevention strategies
This study aims to evaluate the association between smoking exposure and human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical abnormalities among women living with HIV (WLWH). By conducting a systematic review of the current...
Epidemiology of injecting drug use, prevalence of injecting-related harm, and exposure to behavioural and environmental risks among people who inject drugs: A systematic review
Background People who inject drugs are exposed to various and changing risk environments and are at risk of multiple harms related to injecting drug use (IDU). We aimed to undertake...
Selected inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers pre-viral suppression in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection without overt cardiovascular disease: Is there a need to redefine reference indices?
Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is prevalent in Africa and causes morbidity and mortality despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). Non-communicable complications of HIV infection include cardiovascular disease (CVD) with thromboses throughout the vascular tree....
Comparison of clinical manifestations in mpox patients living with HIV versus without HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Currently, many cases of mpox patients living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been reported. Immunocompromised mpox patients including those living with HIV are noted for an increased...
