Category Archives: Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
Magnitude and characteristics of unsuppressed HIV viral load in children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: HIV/AIDS remains a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children and adolescents, with a substantial proportion of people with HIV having unsuppressed viral loads despite the availability of...
Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its associated factors in Asian countries: A systematic review
Background: Despite widespread public health interventions and research on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), late diagnosis and presentation into care constitute serious challenges to effective prevention and control of the disease. Asia,...
Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in transgender and non-binary people in Canada: A scoping review
In the 2021 census, 100,815 people in Canada aged 15 and older identified as transgender or non-binary. Globally, transgender people are disproportionately burdened by several Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections...
Knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of healthcare workers to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Despite advancements in HIV prevention strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), uptake remains suboptimal in high-burden regions like Africa. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a pivotal role in PrEP implementation. This...
Mental health interventions for young pepole living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Introduction: Young people (aged 15-24) living with HIV/AIDS (YPLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experience higher rates of mental health conditions compared to their uninfected peers. Research and practitioners have expressed...
Effects of test-and-treat versus preexposure prophylaxis on elimination of HIV transmission: Analysis of 24 HIV prevention trials
INTRODUCTION: In 2023, 28.8 million (72%) of 39.9 million people with HIV (PWH) worldwide were on treatment with viral suppression, while 11.1 million (28%) people had viraemia with the risk...
Descriptions of risks and benefits of HIV vaccine trials in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs): An integrative review
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trials are needed in efforts to prevent infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Like other types of research, HIV vaccine trials present benefits and risks...
Association between baseline HIV-1 DNA levels and clinical outcomes in people living with HIV: A meta-analysis of cohort studies
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of digital communication tools (e.g., text message reminders) on improving daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence. Searching PubMed, Embase, Web of...
Prevalence of common mental disorders and sleep disorder among adolescents and young adults with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV are a population at high risk of experiencing mental issues and sleep disorder. We aim to summarise the global prevalence and risks...
The key design features and effectiveness of social network interventions for HIV testing and linkage services in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: HIV remains a global health challenge with a reported 39 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2022. Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific are home to 82% of...
Effects of nutritional interventions on nutritional and immunological status and adherence to antiretroviral treatment among adults living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background HIV/AIDS may cause malnutrition, both directly and indirectly, through common infections. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effects of nutritional interventions on nutritional status, immunological status,...
Utilization of cervical cancer screening and its associated factors among women living with HIV in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Women living with HIV (WLHIV), mostly in East Africa, are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer and are a priority population for secondary prevention. Numerous primary studies...
