Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Preventing HIV-1 infection in women using oral pre-exposure prophylaxis: A meta-analysis of current evidence
The World Health Organization has issued an early release revision to its antiretroviral guidelines in which PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis in the form of daily oral, fixed dose combination tenofovir disoproxil...
Effective non-drug interventions for improving outcomes and quality of maternal health care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Many interventions have been implemented to improve maternal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Currently, however, systematic information on the effectiveness of these interventions remains scarce. We conducted a...
A systematic review of interventions to improve postpartum retention of women in PMTCT and ART care
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization recommends lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV. Effective transitioning from maternal and child health to ART services, and...
Safety of oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention
INTRODUCTION: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-based pre-exposure prophylaxis is a novel HIV prevention strategy for individuals at increased sexual risk for HIV infection. For any biomedical prevention intervention, the bar for...
Effectiveness and safety of oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis for all populations
OBJECTIVE: Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a promising new approach to HIV prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for use of oral PrEP containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as...
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health services and implications for the provision of voluntary medical male circumcision: Results of a systematic literature review
BACKGROUND: Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is a critical HIV prevention tool. Since 2007, sub-Saharan African countries with the highest prevalence of HIV have been mobilizing resources to make VMMC...
Efficacy and safety of contemporary dual-drug antiretroviral regimens as first-line treatment or as a simplification strategy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Some guidelines recommended two-drug antiretroviral therapies as alternative regimens to triple therapy in selected patients with the aim of reducing drug burden and toxicity and preserving future treatment options....
A meta-analysis assessing all-cause mortality in HIV-exposed uninfected compared to HIV-unexposed uninfected infants and children
OBJECTIVE: Conduct a meta-analysis examining differential all-cause mortality rates between HIV-exposed uninfected infants and children as compared to their HIV-unexposed uninfected counterparts. DESIGN: Meta-analysis summarizing the difference in mortality between...
Impact of maternal HIV-1 infection on the feto-maternal crosstalk and consequences for pregnancy outcome and infant health
Adaptation of the maternal immune system to establish maternal/fetal equilibrium is required for a successful pregnancy. Viral infections, including HIV-1 infection, can alter this maternal/fetal equilibrium, with significant consequences for...
Interventions to strengthen the HIV prevention cascade: A systematic review of reviews
BACKGROUND: Much progress has been made in interventions to prevent HIV infection. However, development of evidence-informed prevention programmes that translate the efficacy of these strategies into population effect remain a...
