Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Activity-based costing for HIV, primary care and nutrition services in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic literature review and synthesis
BACKGROUND: This study is a systematic literature review of HIV, nutrition, and primary care activity-based costing (ABC) studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries. ABC studies are critical for understanding...
Psychosocial interventions for depression delivered by non-mental health specialists to people living with HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Background: Depression commonly co-exists with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the HIV burden is greatest, mental health resources are limited. These settings may benefit...
HIV infection does not affect the risk of death of COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies
Background: Even during the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to pose a major threat, worldwide. In fact, the World Health Organization...
Priorities in the implementation of partner services for HIV/STIs in high-income nations: A narrative review of evidence and recommendations
Partner notification (PN) remains a crucial prevention tool to reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission and prevent STI-related morbidity. Although there have been a variety of different approaches taken to...
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...
Adherence to option B+ and its association with disclosure status and counseling among HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled estimate of option B+ level of adherence and its association with disclosure status and counseling among pregnant and lactation women...
Increased risk of sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men taking preexposure prophylaxis: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a priority population for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. We summarized the surveillance data from the studies of MSM taking...
Prevalence and global trends of polypharmacy among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: There has been a rising prevalence of polypharmacy among people living with HIV (PLWH). Uncertainty however remains regarding the exact estimates of polypharmacy among these cohorts of patients. Methods: We conducted...
Measuring and addressing stigma within HIV interventions for people who use drugs: A scoping review of recent research
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Persistent stigma remains a crucial barrier to HIV prevention and treatment services among people who use drugs (PWUD), particularly for those living with or at-risk for HIV....
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...
