Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Impact of viral load and the duration of primary infection on HIV transmission: Systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: HIV ‘treatment as prevention’ (TasP) describes early treatment of HIV-infected patients intended to reduce viral load and transmission. Crucial assumptions for estimating TasP’s effectiveness are the underlying estimates of...
Mannose-binding lectin and the risk of HIV transmission and disease progression in children: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) can activate the complement system by binding to carbohydrates, such as those presented on the HIV virion surface. It is unclear whether genetically determined MBL deficiency...
Determinants of male involvement in maternal and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
INTRODUCTION: Male participation is a crucial component in the optimization of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. This is especially so where prevention strategies to decrease Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of...
Male circumcision for the prevention of heterosexually acquired HIV infection: A meta-analysis of randomized trials involving 11,050 men
OBJECTIVES: Observational studies and a small collection of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that male circumcision may significantly reduce HIV transmission between sero-discordant contacts. The Joint United Nations Programme on...
Vaginal microbicides for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection – No evidence of an effect or evidence of no effect?
BACKGROUND: Vaginal disinfection is a simple, potentially effective strategy for reducing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV that can be implemented in combination with antiretroviral therapy or even in the absence...
Effectiveness of female controlled barrier methods in preventing sexually transmitted infections and HIV: Current evidence and future research directions
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of female controlled physical and chemical barrier methods in preventing STI/HIV transmission, to examine recent reviews on microbicide development, and to highlight promising...
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to canarypox vector-based HIV vaccines in HIV-seronegative individuals: A meta-analysis of published studies
PURPOSE: A successful prophylactic HIV vaccine will probably require neutralizing antibodies and vigorous CTL (CD8+ T-cytotoxic lymphocyte) responses. Canarypox vector-based HIV vaccines (ALVAC-HIV) have been gaining momentum as promising HIV...
Family-centred approaches to the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV
Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programmes have traditionally been narrow in scope, targeting biomedical interventions during the perinatal period, rather than considering HIV as a family disease. This...
Economic evaluation of drug abuse treatment and HIV prevention programs in pregnant women: A systematic review
Drug abuse and transmission of HIV during pregnancy are public health problems that adversely affect pregnant women, their children and surrounding communities. Programs that address this vulnerable population have the...
Synthesizing gender based HIV interventions in Sub-Sahara Africa: A systematic review of the evidence
Gender is a critical component of HIV and sexual risk interventions. Examining the range, effectiveness and methodological rigor of studies that include a gender based component can inform current interventions...
Hepatotoxicity associated with long- versus short-course HIV-prophylactic nevirapine use: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the Research on Adverse Drug events And Reports (RADAR) project
Background and objective: The antiretroviral nevirapine can cause severe hepatotoxicity when used ‘off-label’ for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), newborn post-exposure prophylaxis and for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis among non-HIV-infected...
