Category Archives: Health Systems
Epidemiology and safety challenges of major transfusion-transmitted pathogens in Cameroon: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) was designed to determine the prevalence, patterns, and determinants of major transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), to address this gap, and to propose solutions to...
A systematic review of models used to estimate undiagnosed HIV prevalence in high-income low-prevalence countries and territories
INTRODUCTION: Estimating undiagnosed HIV prevalence facilitates planning epidemic responses, and monitoring progress towards UNAIDS and national targets. We undertook a systematic review to identify models used to estimate undiagnosed HIV...
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 behaviors...
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 U = U (Undetectable = 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...
Perceptions about the relationship between HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and fecundity in sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from a systematic scoping review
Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) enable women living with HIV to safely conceive and give birth without vertical transmission. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 6 people experience infertility and...
HIV and cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and comparative risk assessment study
Background People living with HIV (PLWH) face a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aims to quantify temporal trends in HIV-attributable CVD burden at global, regional and...
Analytical techniques for laboratory testing of HIV: A systematic review
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), remains a significant global public health threat. Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV viral loads to undetectable levels....
Obstetric nurses’ approach to evidence-based practice in breastfeeding within the context of HIV: A scoping review
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Human immunodeficiency virus remains a significant public health challenge, with breastfeeding contributing to the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Although antiretroviral therapy significantly reduces this risk, obstetric nurses face complex...
