Category Archives: Treatment
Performance of cepheid GeneXpert HIV-1 viral load plasma assay to accurately detect treatment failure: A clinical meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Coverage of viral load testing remains low with only half of the patients in need having adequate access. Alternative technologies to high throughput centralized machines can be used to...
How does hard-to-reach status affect antiretroviral therapy adherence in the HIV-infected population? Results from a meta-analysis of observational studies
BACKGROUND: Socially disadvantaged groups, such as drug users, sex workers and homeless individuals, are labelled as “hard-to-reach” (HTR) in public health and medical research. HIV disproportionately impacts these populations, but...
Rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV
BACKGROUND: Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) being widely available, HIV continues to cause substantial illness and premature death in low-and-middle-income countries. High rates of loss to follow-up after HIV diagnosis can...
Comparative efficacy and safety and dolutegravir and lamivudine in treatment naive HIV patients
Objective: Compare the efficacy and safety of the 2-drug antiretroviral therapy regimen dolutegravir + lamivudine (DTG + 3TC) with traditional 3-drug regimens in treatment-naive patients with HIV-1. Design: Data from double-blind, randomized...
Tenofovir-associated kidney disease in Africans: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Data on chronic kidney disease development in HIV infection is important towards building a comprehensive knowledge of HIV, ageing and polypharmacy in Africa. Several previous studies on tenofovir-associated kidney...
Recent interventions to improve retention in HIV care and adherence to antiretroviral treatment among adolescents and youth: A systematic review
Adolescents represent a growing proportion of people living with HIV worldwide and the highest risk population group for treatment attrition and AIDS-related mortality. There is an urgent need to design,...
Do quality improvement initiatives improve outcomes for patients in antiretroviral programs in low- and middle-income countries? A systematic review
Background: There have been a range of quality improvement (QI) and quality assurance initiatives in low- and middle-income countries to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment outcomes for people living with HIV....
Effects of malaria/helminthic coinfections on cervical cancer progression among sub Saharan African women on highly active antiretroviral therapy: A scoping review
In Africa, the HIV prevalence in rural areas has begun to reach levels estimated within urban settings, where women are also more at risk for both malaria and intestinal parasitic...
Integration of HIV testing services into family planning services: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Despite significant interest in integrating sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services into HIV services, less attention has been paid to linkages in the other direction. Where women and girls...
