Category Archives: Other
Reviews that are lab-based (e.g. genes, pharmaceuticals) or on unique groups of people (e.g. fishermen, nurses)
Theoretical and empirical comparisons of methods to estimate the size of hard-to-reach populations: A systematic review
Worldwide, the HIV epidemic is concentrated among hidden populations (i.e., female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs). To understand the true scope and...
China-Africa health development initiatives: Benefits and implications for shaping innovative and evidence-informed national health policies and programs in sub-saharan African countries
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION: This review paper examines the growing implications of China’s engagement in shaping innovative national initiatives against infectious diseases and poverty control and elimination in African countries. It...
Seroprevalence and diagnosis of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis infections among blood donors
BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion is one of the most important therapeutic options of life-saving intervention for recipients who are in diseased or non-diseased conditions with severe blood loss. However, it is...
A systematic review of cost-effectiveness studies reporting cost-per-DALY averted
INTRODUCTION: Calculating the cost per disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted associated with interventions is an increasing popular means of assessing the cost-effectiveness of strategies to improve population health. However, there...
Opt-out screening strategy for HIV infection among patients attending emergency departments: Systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: International health agencies have promoted nontargeted universal (opt-out) HIV screening tests in different settings, including emergency departments (EDs). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the testing...
Less research on tuberculosis than HIV and malaria when research agendas are poorly coordinated: A systematic review of research outputs from Cambodia
OBJECTIVE: Coordination of health interventions and research is often weak during periods of political transition and unprecedented aid inflows, which Cambodia has recently experienced. Although HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria...
A very low number of national adaptations of the World Health Organization guidelines for HIV and tuberculosis reported their processes
BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries adapt World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines instead of de novo development for financial, epidemiologic, sociopolitical, cultural, organizational, and other reasons. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate reported...
Therapy-emergent drug resistance to integrase strand transfer inhibitors in HIV-1 patients: A subgroup meta-analysis of clinical trials
BACKGROUND: Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are a novel class of anti-HIV agents that show high activity in inhibiting HIV-1 replication. Currently, licensed INSTIs include raltegravir (RAL), elvitegravir (EVG) and...
Comparative efficacy and safety of first-line antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV infection: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: New antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens for HIV could improve clinical outcomes for patients. To inform global guidelines, we aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness of recommended ART regimens for...
Enroling and retaining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients in their care: A metasynthesis of qualitative studies
OBJECTIVES: To report the findings of a metasynthesis review of qualitative studies on patient and provider experiences and perspectives on linkage and retention in HIV care. DESIGN: The review is...
Association between the interleukin-10-1082G/A, -592C/A, -819C/T gene polymorphism and HIV-1 susceptibility: A meta-analysis
The IL-10 gene polymorphism influences the pathogenesis and evolution of HIV-1 disease. Many studies in this regard have evaluated the association between this polymorphism and HIV-1 susceptibility, yet, the exact...
Visual analogue scale (VAS) measurement of antiretroviral adherence in people living with HIV (PLWH): A meta-analysis
Effective treatment of HIV hinges upon maintaining adequate antiretroviral therapy adherence. Accurate, cost-effective measurement of medication adherence is needed to best respond to the HIV pandemic. The visual analogue scale...
