Category Archives: Retention in care
Effectiveness of and best practices for using contingency management and incentives for health care issues related to HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Using contingency management and incentives at the different steps of HIV care continuum (such as testing, treatment adherence, viral suppressions) is widely explored and discussed in the literature, whereas the...
The effectiveness of peer-support for people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The practice of involving people living with HIV in the development and provision of healthcare has gained increasing traction. Peer-support for people living with HIV is assistance and encouragement...
Effect of community-based interventions targeting female sex workers along the HIV care cascade in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Female sex workers are extremely vulnerable and highly susceptible to being infected with human immunodeficiency virus. As a result, community-based targeted interventions have been recommended as one of the...
A systematic review of the effectiveness of non-health facility based care delivery of antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa measured by viral suppression, mortality and retention on ART
BACKGROUND: Alternative models for sustainable antiretroviral treatment (ART) delivery are necessary to meet the increasing demand to maintain population-wide ART for all people living with HIV (PLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa....
The HIV care cascade in sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review of published criteria and definitions
INTRODUCTION: The HIV care cascade examines the attrition of people living with HIV from diagnosis to the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and suppression of viral replication. We reviewed the...
Strategies for retention of heterosexual men in HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Expansion of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) programs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has increased the number of people accessing treatment. However, the number of males accessing and being retained along the human...
Evidence regarding rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy in patients living with HIV
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is increasingly more common among clinics serving people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). It is recommended by major guidelines and...
Risk factors for loss to follow-up from antiretroviral therapy programmes in low-income and middle-income countries
Introduction: Loss to follow-up (LTFU) rates from antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are high, leading to poor treatment outcomes and onward transmission of HIV. Knowledge of...
A mega-aggregation framework synthesis of the barriers and facilitators to linkage, adherence to ART and retention in care among people living with HIV
BACKGROUND: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) struggle with the challenges of living with a chronic disease and integrating antiretroviral treatment (ART) and care into their daily lives. The...