Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Combined “Test and Treat” campaigns for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C: A systematic review to provide evidence to support World Health Organization treatment guidelines
BACKGROUND: Worldwide, more than 39 million individuals are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 296 million with chronic hepatitis B (HBV), and 58 million with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Despite...
Barriers and facilitators to utilizing HIV prevention and treatment services among migrant youth globally: A scoping review
Both migrants and young people experience disproportionately high rates of HIV acquisition and poor access to HIV prevention and treatment services. To develop effective interventions and reach epidemic control, it...
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...
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...
