Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
A scoping review of grey zone use for transfusion-transmitted infection screening among blood donors
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Screening for transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) among blood donors is done using qualitative screening assays. Screening values that are close to cut-off values lie in the uncertainty zone,...
Interventions to support breastfeeding among mothers living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding improves infant survival, especially in low-resource settings. Although the risk of postnatal transmission is below 1% among virologically suppressed mothers living with HIV, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates and...
Effectiveness of conditional cash transfers for uptake and retention in HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmission services in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers for the uptake and retention in prevention of mother-to-child...
Seroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections among blood donors in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Blood transfusion is essential in healthcare but carries inherent risks of human immunodeficiency virusAÿ(HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis and malaria transmission. National...
Breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes and practices of HIV-positive women in Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is essential for ensuring the health and survival of children, particularly in regions where diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition are common causes of child mortality. In sub-Saharan Africa, over...
Immunogenicity and safety of the booster COVID-19 vaccine among people with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and COVID-19 continue to pose significant global public health challenges. Although vaccination is essential for preventing COVID-19 in people with HIV (PWH), evidence on the...
Performance of adherence measures for oral, tenofovir-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: A systematic review
Accurate adherence measures to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are essential for identifying individuals with low adherence and providing tailored support. This systematic review summarizes evidence on the performance of PrEP...
Probability of vertical HIV transmission: A systematic review and meta-regression
Background Eliminating HIV vertical transmission is a global priority and monitored by estimating paediatric HIV infections with the UNAIDS-supported Spectrum AIDS Impact Module (Spectrum-AIM). Recent innovations in antiretroviral therapy (ART)...
Cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions in sub-Saharan Africa (2019-2025): A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: This systematic review synthesizes recent evidence on the cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where over 70% of the global HIV burden resides. METHODS: Following PRISMA...
State of HIV research in Venezuela: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Venezuela’s recent economic and political instability has severely compromised its healthcare infrastructure, impacting the management of infectious diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This disruption hinders progress towards the...
Single-session interventions to enhance HIV outcomes among adolescents and young adults: A systematic scoping review and implications for integrating HIV and mental health services
Significant progress has been made in HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents and young adults (AYA), but integrating mental healthcare remains essential to address risks and improve treatment engagement. Single-session...
