Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Interventions for integrating behavioral health services into HIV clinical care: A narrative review
The integration of behavioral health services within human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care settings holds promise for improving substance use, mental health, and HIV-related health outcomes for people with HIV. As...
The proportion of loss to follow-up from antiretroviral therapy (ART) and its association with age among adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a global health threat, especially in developing countries. The successful scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs to address this threat is hindered by a...
Pediatrics HIV-positive status disclosure and its predictors in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: HIV-positive status disclosure for children is challenging for family members, guardians, and healthcare professionals. Disclosure is very challenging, particularly for children, yet no systematic synthesis of evidence accurately measures...
Condom use and risk factors of inconsistent or low use of the condoms during heterosexual anal intercourse in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Anal intercourse (AI) has been reported to be the riskiest among other sexual intercourses in spreading human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the risk could be minimized by the use...
The demographic and socioeconomic correlates of behavior and HIV infection status across sub-Saharan Africa
Background: Predisposition to become HIV positive (HIV + ) is influenced by a wide range of correlated economic, environmental, demographic, social, and behavioral factors. While evidence among a candidate handful have...
Determinants of voluntary counseling and testing service uptake among adult sub-Saharan Africans: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective: To examine the major determinants of VCT service uptake among adults in SSA. Methods: Electronic databases were searched to identify eligible English language publications. Reporting of the study selection...
Incidence and mortality of non-AIDS-defining cancers among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) are now becoming a rising cause of morbidity among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. We conducted a systematic review...
Screening performance of C-reactive protein for active pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-positive patients: A systematic review with a meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide. In the last years, resistant strains of the etiological agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have emerged, thus demanding more triage tests...
Multimorbidity of communicable and non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review is to analyse existing evidence on prevalence, patterns, determinants, and healthcare challenges of communicable and non-communicable disease multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries...
Safety and efficacy of abacavir for treating infants, children, and adolescents living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor recommended in paediatric HIV care. We assessed the safety and efficacy profile of abacavir used in first, second, or subsequent lines of treatment...
