Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
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...
Randomized controlled trials of individual-level, population-level, and multilevel interventions for preventing sexually transmitted infections: What has worked?
BACKGROUND: Previous reviews of interventions to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) focused mostly on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We reviewed trials of interventions to prevent sexual transmission of any...
HIV-related stigma as a barrier to achievement of global PMTCT and maternal health goals: A review of the evidence
The global community has set goals of virtual elimination of new child HIV infections and 50 percent reduction in HIV-related maternal mortality by the year 2015. Although much progress has...
Analytic review of modeling studies of ARV Based PrEP interventions reveals strong influence of drug-resistance assumptions on the population-level effectiveness
BACKGROUND: Four clinical trials have shown that oral and topical pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) based on tenofovir may be effective in preventing HIV transmission. The expected reduction in HIV transmission and...
Prevalence of resistance to nevirapine in mothers and children after single-dose exposure to prevent vertical transmission of HIV-1: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Single-dose nevirapine (NVP) is the main option for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV-1 in countries with limited resources. However, the use of single-dose NVP results in...
Integrating prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programmes with other health services for preventing HIV infection and improving HIV outcomes in developing countries
BACKGROUND: Every year nearly 400,000 children are infected with HIV through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), which is responsible for more than 90% of HIV infections in children. In high-income countries, the...
