Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Prevalence and trends of advanced HIV disease among antiretroviral therapy-naive and antiretroviral therapy-experienced patients in South Africa between 2010-2021: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Despite the significant progress made in South Africa in getting millions of individuals living with HIV into care, many patients still present or re-enter care with Advanced HIV Disease...
Current ARTs, virologic failure, and implications for AIDS management: A systematic review
Antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) have revolutionized the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, significantly improved patient outcomes, and reduced the mortality rate and incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However,...
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, a controversial burden in the East African context: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction It is well established that starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) increases a patient’s life expectancy among HIV-positive individuals. Considering the HIV pandemic, the major concern is initiation of ARTs to...
Morbidity and mortality in tuberculosis associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in children living with HIV: A narrative review
Tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution syndrome (TB-IRIS) is an increasingly recognized complication of children living with HIV who are receiving treatment for active tuberculosis (TB). The purpose of the study was to...
Attrition one year after starting antiretroviral therapy before and after the programmatic implementation of HIV “Treat All” in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction Evidence on the real-world effects of “Treat All” on attrition has not been systematically reviewed. We aimed to review existing literature to compare attrition 12 months after antiretroviral therapy (ART)...
Systematic review of prevalence and risk factors of transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors, and blood safety improvements in Southern Africa
Blood and blood products are listed as one of the essential medicines by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition to inadequate supply, most sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) nations fail to...
Impact of differentiated service delivery models on retention in HIV care and viral suppression among people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Differentiated service delivery (DSD) models, such as adherence clubs (ACs), are client-centred approaches where clinically stable people living with HIV (PLHIV) meet to receive various services, including psychosocial support, brief...
Effectiveness of linkae 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...
Prevalence and risk factors of tuberculosis among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with tuberculosis (TB) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in China. METHODS: A systematic review...
Interventions to enhance healthcare utilisation among pregnant women to reduce maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries: a review of systematic reviews
BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has reduced considerably over the past three decades, but it remains high. Effective interventions are available, but their uptake and coverage...
Global prevalence of chronic pain in women with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Chronic pain is common among people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and detrimental to quality of life and overall health. It is often underdiagnosed, undertreated, and frankly dismissed in women...
HIV testing disruptions and service adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic literature review
Access to treatment and care in safe clinical settings improves people’s lives with HIV. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vital HIV programs and services, increasing the risk of adverse health outcomes...
