Category Archives: Health Systems
Peer network approaches for improving HIV testing, prevention and care utilisation among men in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
INTRODUCTION: Limited male engagement in HIV prevention and care is a global challenge more pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) contributing to ongoing transmission. However, peer network interventions show promise in...
Evaluating the effectiveness of digital health interventions for HIV prevention and treatment adherence among transgender populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Transgender individuals face a disproportionate burden of HIV due to systemic barriers including stigma, discrimination, and limited access to gender-affirming healthcare. Digital health interventions (DHIs), such as mobile applications,...
Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Psychosocial Interventions on Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence
BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is crucial for prolonging the lives of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but adherence remains suboptimal. Psychosocial interventions show promise for improving ART adherence, yet...
Age-specific distribution of cervical precancer and cancer among women living with HIV across seven countries: A systematic review and an individual patient data meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Women living with HIV have an elevated risk for cervical cancer, present earlier, and have more recurrent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections compared with women without HIV. To update WHO...
Closing Diagnostic Gaps in Pediatric HIV: Innovations in Point-of-Care and Digital Monitoring with an Asia-Pacific Implementation Lens-A Systematic Review
Background/Objectives: Pediatric HIV case-finding and monitoring remain constrained by delayed early infant diagnosis (EID), loss to follow-up, and limited viral load (VL) testing-challenges particularly consequential in the operationally diverse Asia-Pacific...
HIV self-testing and clinician-administered testing in Southern Africa: A systematic review of programmatic outcomes
OBJECTIVE: In 2024, an estimated 5.3 million of 40.8 million people with HIV (PWH) globally were unaware of their status, with Southern Africa bearing the highest regional burden. This review...
Person-centred HIV prevention services in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: In spite of numerous advancements in HIV prevention, there are still gaps that impede reaching key populations throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional approaches usually overlook personal preferences, social context and...
Systematic scoping review on HIV services for males in Sub-Saharan Africa: Access, barriers, and research gaps
BACKGROUND: Access to HIV services among men and boys in Sub-Saharan Africa is a significant public health challenge, exacerbated by cultural norms surrounding masculinity. This scoping review systematically investigates disparities...
Gender-responsive and -transformative interventions in HIV, TB and malaria programmes: A review of evidence
Gender-responsive and -transformative interventions are essential for tackling harmful social norms and discriminatory laws, policies, and practices that drive gender inequalities and health inequities especially for women, girls, and gender-diverse...
Effects of Digital Health Interventions to Promote Safer Sex Behaviors Among Youth: Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND: Youth aged 15-24 years carry a disproportionate HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) burden. In recent years, different modalities of digital health interventions (DHIs) have been explored to promote safer sex...
Interventions for thriving in HIV serodiscordant relationships in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review
BACKGROUND: HIV serodiscordant relationships, where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is HIV-negative, present unique challenges despite biomedical advances including Uƒ_%=ƒ_%U (Undetectableƒ_%=ƒ_%Untransmittable). Effective interventions are crucial to support these...
Colliding Wars: A Systematic Review on HIV Responses in Conflict-Affected Settings
BACKGROUND: Armed conflicts are an escalating threat to public health, often marked by violence, poverty, displacement and weakened health systems-conditions that mirror the drivers of HIV transmission. AIM: This review...
