Category Archives: Health Systems
The impact of disease stage on direct medical costs of HIV management: A review of the international literature
The global prevalence of HIV infection continues to grow, as a result of increasing incidence in some countries and improved survival where highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is available. Growing...
Economic evaluation, human immunodeficiency virus infection and screening: A review and critical appraisal of economic studies
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review, systematically and critically, evidence used to derive estimates of cost-effectiveness of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening. METHODS: A systematic review was...
Diagnostic tests in HIV management: A review of clinical and laboratory strategies to monitor HIV-infected individuals in developing countries
We conducted a systematic review on the performance of diagnostic tests for clinical and laboratory monitoring of HIV-infected adults in developing countries. Diagnostic test information collected from computerized databases, bibliographies...
Treatment outcomes from community-based drug resistant tuberculosis treatment programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that community-based treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) is a feasible and cost-effective alternative to centralized, hospital-based care. Although several large programs have reported favourable...
Task shifting for the delivery of pediatric antiretroviral treatment: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Pediatric antiretroviral treatment coverage in resource-limited settings continues to lag behind adults. Task shifting is an effective approach broadly used for adults, which some countries have also adopted for...
Strategies for integrating primary health services in low- and middle-income countries at the point of delivery
BACKGROUND: In some low- and middle-income countries, separate vertical programmes deliver specific life-saving interventions but can fragment services. Strategies to integrate services aim to bring together inputs, organisation, and delivery...
Factors mediating HIV risk among female sex workers in Europe: A systematic review and ecological analysis
OBJECTIVES: We reviewed the epidemiology of HIV and selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female sex workers (FSWs) in WHO-defined Europe. There were three objectives: (1) to assess the prevalence...
Quantifying and addressing losses along the continuum of care for people living with HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Recent years have seen an increasing recognition of the need to improve access and retention in care for people living with HIV/AIDS. This review aims to quantify patients along...
Uptake of home-based voluntary HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Improving access to HIV testing is a key priority in scaling up HIV treatment and prevention services. Home-based voluntary counselling and testing (HBT) as an approach to delivering wide-scale...
Applicability and generalisability of the results of systematic reviews to public health practice and policy: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate systematic reviews of research into two public health priorities, tobacco consumption and HIV infection, in terms of the reporting of data...
