Category Archives: Health Systems
Leveraging U=U in interventions for Black women living with HIV: A scoping review and call to action
Despite significant reductions in the incidence and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) over recent decades, certain subgroups continue to experience disproportionate HIV-related health disparities. Cisgender Black women, in particular,...
Viral load suppression rate of third-line antiretroviral therapy and its association with gender among HIV patients after second-line treatment failure in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Previous works of literatures on the viral load suppression rate of third line antiretroviral therapy in Africa has produced inconsistent and inconclusive results, with rates varying between 62% and...
Risk factors associated with human Mpox infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Mpox emerged as a significant global public health concern during the 2022-2023 outbreak, impacting populations in both endemic and non-endemic countries. This study reviews and synthesises evidence on the...
Reducing the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission using intervention mapping: A systematic review
Intervention mapping (IM) is a planning approach that reflects the intricate decision-making process involved in the design of behavior interventions. The development and implementation of IM is complex in preventing...
Prevalence of mental health problems in people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
HIV remains a significant public health concern, with an estimation of 39 million people infected. There is a lack of universally accepted benchmarks for prevalence of mental health problems among...
Adverse perinatal outcomes associated with different classes of antiretroviral drugs in pregnant women with HIV
Objective: Women with HIV (WHIV) are at an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to women without HIV, despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is evidence that the risk of...
Detection of new HIV cases under epidemic control—When is it the right time to review HIV testing algorithms for countries nearing the 95-95-95 milestones? Case study—Bostwana
Background: Accurate diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is dependent on using established national HIV testing algorithm. The purpose of this study was to review published articles to identify,...
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HIV care continuum and associated factors in middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
INTRODUCTION: The HIV care continuum during the COVID-19 era faced specific challenges. The pandemic, affecting the delivery of HIV care, exacerbated existing healthcare inequities and vulnerabilities in middle-income countries with...
Gut microbiome alteration in HIV/AIDS and the role of antiretroviral therapy—A scoping review
(1) Background: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in chronic immune activation associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pathogenesis, non-AIDS-related comorbidities, and mortality...
