Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women living with HIV or hepatitis B: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of various antiretroviral/antiviral regimens in pregnant women living with HIV or hepatitis B virus (HBV). DESIGN: We performed random effects meta-analysis for HIV-related outcomes and...
Vitamin A supplements for reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission
BACKGROUND: Strategies to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) include lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-positive women, exclusive breastfeeding from birth for six weeks...
Ranking 93 health interventions for low- and middle-income countries by cost-effectiveness
BACKGROUND: Cost-effectiveness rankings of health interventions are useful inputs for national healthcare planning and budgeting. Previous comprehensive rankings for low- and middle- income countries were undertaken in 2005 and 2006,...
Does pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM) change risk behavior? A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV has been available since 2012. Even so, PrEP has not been widely accepted among healthcare providers and MSM some of whom are convinced that...
Does maternal HSV-2 coinfection increase mother-to-child transmission of HIV? A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Reducing HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is critical to ending the HIV pandemic. Reports suggest that herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), a common coinfection in HIV-infected individuals, is associated with increased...
Mapping evidence of interventions and strategies to bridge the gap in the implementation of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme policy in sub-Saharan countries: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV is a life-saving public health intervention. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have made significant progress in the programme, but little is known about...
Safety of oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use in lactating HIV-uninfected women
INTRODUCTION: In settings where HIV is prevalent in heterosexual populations, pregnancy and postpartum breastfeeding periods can be associated with substantial HIV acquisition risk. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with daily oral tenofovir...
Elective cesarean section for women living with HIV: A systematic review of risks and benefits
OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To inform WHO guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess maternal and perinatal outcomes comparing cesarean section (c-section) before labor and rupture of membranes...
Critical review: Review of the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of raltegravir in pregnancy
Raltegravir was previously considered an alternative antiretroviral in pregnancy because of limited data, but recent pregnancy guidelines recommend raltegravir as a preferred integrase treatment option. Data from published articles and...
HIV-free survival at 12-24 months in breastfed infants of HIV-infected women on antiretroviral treatment
OBJECTIVE: To provide estimates of HIV-free survival at 12-24 months in breastfed children by maternal ART (6 months or lifelong) to inform WHO HIV and Infant Feeding guidelines. METHODS: Eighteen...
Female and younger subjects have lower adherence in PrEP trials: A meta-analysis with implications for the uptake of PrEP service to prevent HIV
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the medicine-taking compliance (MTC) level, explore its facilitators and barriers, and quantify the association between MTC level and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protective efficacy in individuals at risk...
