Category Archives: Health Systems
HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in community settings and by lay health workers or through task sharing: A systematic review of effectiveness, case studies, values and preferences, and costs
INTRODUCTION: Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention has been inadequately promoted, provided and used. Expanded access and task sharing could increase the HIV prevention impact of PEP, but scientific evidence...
User preferences on long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Novel formulations for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) such as injectables, implants, and intravaginal rings are emerging as long-acting alternatives to daily pills for the prevention of HIV. Eastern and Southern...
Characterization and stratification of risk factors of stroke in people living with HIV: A theory-informed systematic review
Background Identification and stratification of risk factors for stroke among individuals living with HIV (PLWH) will facilitate primary prevention and prognostication, as well as strategies aimed at optimizing neurorehabilitation. This...
Vending machines for reducing harm associated with substance use and use disorders, and co-occurring conditions: A systematic review
Background To stem rising fatal overdoses and other substance use/use disorder (SUD)-related harms, communities are turning to low-barrier harm reduction strategies, such as harm reduction-focused vending machines (VMs) that distribute...
Preferences for long-acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
HIV remains a major public health problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is documented as safe and effective for HIV prevention, adherence remains a...
Assessing the impact of digital communication tools on oral PrEP adherence: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of digital communication tools (e.g., text message reminders) on improving daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence. Searching PubMed, Embase, Web of...
Safer opioid supply clients’ values and preferences: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research
QUESTION: What are the values and preferences of safer opioid supply clients? STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies on safer opioid supply client experiences...
Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its associated factors in Asian countries: A systematic review
Background: Despite widespread public health interventions and research on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), late diagnosis and presentation into care constitute serious challenges to effective prevention and control of the disease. Asia,...
Knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of healthcare workers to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Despite advancements in HIV prevention strategies, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), uptake remains suboptimal in high-burden regions like Africa. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a pivotal role in PrEP implementation. This...
Mental health interventions for young pepole living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Introduction: Young people (aged 15-24) living with HIV/AIDS (YPLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experience higher rates of mental health conditions compared to their uninfected peers. Research and practitioners have expressed...
Effects of test-and-treat versus preexposure prophylaxis on elimination of HIV transmission: Analysis of 24 HIV prevention trials
INTRODUCTION: In 2023, 28.8 million (72%) of 39.9 million people with HIV (PWH) worldwide were on treatment with viral suppression, while 11.1 million (28%) people had viraemia with the risk...
Descriptions of risks and benefits of HIV vaccine trials in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs): An integrative review
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trials are needed in efforts to prevent infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Like other types of research, HIV vaccine trials present benefits and risks...
