Category Archives: Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade
Systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment interruptions in HIV-1 infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: Implications for future HIV cure trials
BACKGROUND: Safety and tolerability of analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) as a vital part of HIV-1 cure studies are discussed. We analyzed current evidence for occurrence of adverse events (AEs) during...
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...
A realist review of infant feeding counselling to increase exclusive breastfeeding by HIV-positive women in sub Saharan-Africa: What works for whom and in what contexts
BACKGROUND: The most recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and infant feeding promotes exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in resource limited settings for the prevention of mother...
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...
The protective effect of isoniazid preventive therapy on tuberculosis incidence among HIV positive patients receiving ART in Ethiopian settings: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV makeup a deadly synergy of infectious disease, and the combined effect is apparent in resource limited countries like Ethiopia. Previous studies have demonstrated inconsistent results...
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...
Interventions to improve linkage to HIV care in the era of “treat all” in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: In 2015, antiretroviral therapy (ART) was recommended for all people living with HIV (PLHIV) regardless of CD4 count (“Treat All”). To better understand how to improve...
Cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest HIV burden globally. It is important to understand how interventions cost-effectively fit within guidelines and implementation plans, especially in low- and middle-income settings. We reviewed...
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and acceptability among trans women: a review
Transgender (trans) women are disproportionally burdened by the HIV epidemic due to complex structural, psychosocial and biological factors. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical prevention approach for people at...
Second-line HIV treatment failure in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Increased second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure rate narrows future options for HIV/AIDS treatment. It has critical implications in resource-limited settings; including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the burden of HIV-infection...
