Category Archives: Health Systems
Linkage to care and prevention after HIV self-testing: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: Effective linkage to prevention and care is a crucial step following HIV testing services. This systematic review aimed to determine the proportion of individuals linked to prevention and care...
Pre-exposure prophylaxis access, uptake and usage by young people: A systematic review of barriers and facilitators
BACKGROUND: Young people’s sexual health decision-making, including decisions to access and adhere to HIV prevention strategies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), are influenced by a range of internal and external...
Opportunistic infections among schoolchildren who were on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: The most common and severe cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV- positive children is opportunistic infections (OIs). All HIV-infected children are at risk of developing a variety of...
Predictors of maternal HIV acquisition during pregnancy and lactation in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
OBJECTIVES: To eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, global institutions recommend using a risk-guided approach for HIV prevention services in antenatal and postnatal settings. Identifying predictors of maternal HIV acquisition can...
Nurse training to enhance adherence counselling for HIV-tuberculosis coinfection in South Africa: Integrative review
Background South Africa has seen strides in reducing HIV and tuberculosis (TB); however, adherence counselling for people living with HIV (PLHIV) coinfected with TB remains a challenge, particularly in specific...
Community-based psychosocial support interventions to reduce stigma and improve mental health of people with infectious diseases: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Stigma experienced by people with infectious diseases impedes access to care, leading to adverse psychosocial consequences. Community-based interventions could prevent or mitigate these consequences but lack robust evidence. This...
Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of HIV care in HIV-positive clients entering HIV care with advanced HIV disease in sub-Saharan Africa 2010–2022: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background and aims: Sub-Saharan Africa drives global HIV-related mortality, and patients continuously present with advanced HIV disease (AHD) at diagnosis. We describe prevalence, predictors, and treatment outcomes in HIV clients with...
Caring for a young child who is HIV exposed and whose HIV status is not yet known: A scoping review of mothers’ experiences
Living with HIV can affect mothers’ wellbeing, functioning, and experiences of caregiving. Most research about caregiving in the context of HIV comes from studies of dyads where both mother and...
Barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
BACKGROUND: The uptake of HIV partner status notification remains limited in low- and lower-middle-income countries. This mixed-methods systematic reviewAÿaims to summarize the barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification...
Depressive symptoms and HIV viral suppression: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Previous research suggests that depression impacts HIV outcomes, including viral suppression. This meta-analysis quantifies the association between depression and HIV viral suppression. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed,...
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and its associated factors among children living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Children living with HIV in low-income settings, such as in Eastern and Southern Africa, are at a high risk for poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy. However, various primary studies presented...
