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...
Global type-specific genital human papillomavirus prevalence in men, by sexual orientation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Knowledge on genital type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among men is important for prevention of HPV-related cancers and other diseases. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have higher...
Human papillomavirus prevalence in pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus infection: A scoping review of the literature
Objectives Studies already pointed out the increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity and the implied risk of cervical dysplasia and even cervical carcinoma in pregnant women with human immunodeficiency virus...
The association between HIV infection and precancerous cervical lesion. A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies
BACKGROUND: The effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on precancerous cervical lesion is not consistent across studies. Besides to the variability in the presence of a significant association between HIV...
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...
