Category Archives: Health Systems
Breaking the silence—Systematic review of the socio-cultural underpinnings of men’s sexual and reproductive health in Middle East and North Africa (MENA): A handful of taboos?
BACKGROUND: Sociocultural aspects can impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Despite this, no study appraised the socio-cultural underpinnings impacting men’s SRH in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). The current...
Safety and efficacy of long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine versus standard oral antiretroviral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background In 2023, there were 39.9 million people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide and 630 000 deaths related to HIV. New strategies are needed, and long-acting antiretrovirals (LAAs) are now widely...
HIV interventions across the care continuum for adolescents in high-burden countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Adolescents (10-19 years old) have poor outcomes across the prevention-to-treatment HIV care continuum, leading to significant mortality and morbidity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions that...
Peer-led adjunctive interventions for increasing the reach of HIV prevention and care interventions to Latino/x/e men who have sex with men: A scoping review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Latino/x/e men who have sex with men (LMSM) in the United States are disproportionately affected by HIV. Peer-led adjunctive interventions show promise for enhancing engagement in HIV...
Impact of COVID-19 on utilization of healthcare services among people living with HIV (PLHIV): A systematic review
Background and Objectives: People living with HIV/AIDS have been impacted notably by the COVID-19 pandemic in diverse dimensions. Although some impacts of COVID-19 on PLHIV have been well documented, there...
Systematic review of reviews on interventions to engage men and boys as clients, partners and agents of change for improved sexual and reproductive health and rights
OBJECTIVES: Evidence regarding interventions to engage men and boys to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has grown rapidly across subtopics such as HIV, family planning and gender-based...
How does intersectionality impact the quality of healthcare services for Black women living with HIV?
Women with HIV are affected more than men by intersecting discriminations. For Black women, additional discrimination can have a detrimental effect on their HIV care. An extended literature review of...
A global review of national guidelines of post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of antiretroviral drugs as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for preventing HIV acquisition for occupational and non-occupational exposures. To inform the development of...
A blueprint for large language model-augmented telehealth for HIV mitigation in Indonesia: A scoping review of a novel therapeutic modality
Background: The HIV epidemic in Indonesia is one of the fastest growing in Southeast Asia and is characterised by a number of geographic and sociocultural challenges. Can large language models...
Pooled prevalence and associated factors of traditional uvulectom among children in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Traditional childhood uvulectomy (TCU) is an unregulated cultural practice associated with significant health risks, including infections, anemia, aspiration, and oral or pharyngeal injuries. The reuse of unsafe tools such...
Additive effects of glutathione in improving antibiotic efficacy in HIV-M.tb co-Infection in the central nervous system: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection poses a significant health challenge, particularly when involving the central nervous system (CNS), where it leads to severe morbidity and mortality. Current treatments face...
