Category Archives: Biomedical interventions
Possible prevention of neurodevelopmental consequences of vertical HIV transmission in early childhood? A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Children infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) exhibit the lowest neurodevelopmental scores. Mother-to-child-transmission prevention include perinatally and early antiretroviral therapy (ART) although long-term effects of in utero exposure...
Acceptability, needs, concerns, and barriers to digital-based interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: Systematic review and qualitative meta-aggregation
BACKGROUND: Digital-based interventions have the potential to support initiatives for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). Nevertheless, reviews to explore experiences and perspectives toward digital-based interventions in mothers living...
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation, continuation and adherence among pregnant and postpartum women receiving antenatal and postnatal care: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: In 2023, one-fourth of new HIV acquisitions in children globally resulted from vertical transmission following incident HIV during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil and...
Barriers and facilitators to engagement with the PrEP care continuum among sexual minority men in China: A systematic review
Sexual minority men (SMM) in China are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, yet utilization of HIV prevention services, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), remains low. This systematic review summarizes...
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...
Maternal HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy: Implications for vertical transmission, fetal safety, and long-term infant outcomes
HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) continues to pose a significant public health challenge, especially in regions with limited resources, although the worldwide distribution of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has drastically lowered the...
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis retention among men who have sex with men and transgender persons: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Successful implementation of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) requires retention in PrEP care among those with an increased likelihood of HIV. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of retention on...
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,...
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...
