Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Safety and efficacy of lopinavir/ritonavir during pregnancy: A systematic review
The co-formulated, ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor lopinavir is a frequently used component of HAART for treatment of HIV-infected women during pregnancy and prevention of mother-to-child transmission. We performed a systematic review...
A systematic review of individual and contextual factors affecting ART initiation, adherence, and retention for HIV-infected pregnant and postpartum women
BACKGROUND: Despite progress reducing maternal mortality, HIV-related maternal deaths remain high, accounting, for example, for up to 24 percent of all pregnancy-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is...
The cost and impact of scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: A systematic review of cost-effectiveness modelling studies
BACKGROUND: Cost-effectiveness studies inform resource allocation, strategy, and policy development. However, due to their complexity, dependence on assumptions made, and inherent uncertainty, synthesising, and generalising the results can be difficult....
Pharmaceutical interventions in antiretroviral therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: High levels of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) are needed to achieve the desired results. Because pharmaceutical care might contribute to improved adherence to treatment,...
Efficacy and biological safety of lopinavir/ritonavir based anti-retroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) is the first ritonavir-boosted protease-inhibitor used in second-line anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in resource-limited regions. To evaluate the efficacy and safety outcomes of LPV/r in treatment-naive and -experienced HIV-infected...
Assessment of the impact of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on key outcomes among HIV-infected adults in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Cotrimoxazole (CTX) prophylaxis is among the key interventions provided to HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings. We conducted a systematic review of the available evidence. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health,...
Efficacy of inactivated hepatitis a vaccine in HIV-infected patients: A hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) have elevated risk for hepatitis A virus (HAV) coinfection. Sequelae from coinfection include increased risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality. This study synthesizes the...
Disclosure of HIV serostatus among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Disclosure of one’s HIV status can help to improve uptake and retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services; yet, it remains a challenge for many women. This systematic...
Voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention and early resumption of sexual activity: A literature review
A number of programs have focused on scale-up and implementation research regarding voluntary medical male circumcision; however, there is limited research with regard to factors and strategies related to abstinence...