Category Archives: Children or Youth (less than 18 years old)
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for opportunistic infections in children with HIV infection
Background: The majority of children with HIV infection live in low-income countries without access to antiretroviral drugs. The prevention and early treatment of opportunistic infections are the mainstay of their...
Evidence behind the WHO guidelines: hospital care for children: What is the evidence that BCG vaccination should not be used in HIV-infected children?
The World Health Organization has produced guidelines for the management of common illnesses in hospitals with limited resources. This series reviews the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations. The WHO guidelines,...
A systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions to prevent STI/HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
BACKGROUND: The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains of global significance and there is a need to target (a) the adolescent age-groups in which most new infections occur; and (b) sub-Saharan Africa where...
Influence of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection on vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV): A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Maternal co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been implicated as a potentially important co-factor for enhanced vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In previous reports, however, methodological...
A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to HIV risk behavior among women
Objective: This study is a meta-analysis of the literature exploring the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and HIV risk behavior among women. Four outcome variables were tested: unprotected sex;...
The magnitude of loss to follow-up of HIV-exposed infants along the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission continuum of care: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Although prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs are widely implemented, many children do not benefit from them because of loss to follow-up (LTFU). We conducted a systematic review...
Boosted protease inhibitors as a therapeutic option in the treatment of HIV-infected children
OBJECTIVE: Paediatric HIV treatment must address various special considerations. Administration of pharmacokinetically enhanced protease inhibitors (PIs) can improve paediatric therapeutic outcomes. The objective of this study was to review the...
Lessons learned from family-centred models of treatment for children living with HIV: Current approaches and future directions
BACKGROUND: Despite strong global interest in family-centred HIV care models, no reviews exist that detail the current approaches to family-centred care and their impact on the health of children with...
Unit costs for delivery of antiretroviral treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: A systematic review for low- and middle-income countries
As antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS is scaled up globally, information on per-person costs is critical to improve efficiency in service delivery and to maximize coverage and health impact. The...
High mortality amongst adolescents and adults with bacterial meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of 715 cases from Malawi
Mortality from bacterial meningitis in African adults is significantly higher than those in better resourced settings and adjunctive therapeutic interventions such as dexamethasone and glycerol have been shown to be...