Category Archives: Health Systems
Psychotherapy for comorbid depression and somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The treatment of depression in patients with somatic disorders is crucial, given its negative impact on quality of life (QoL), functioning, and even on the somatic disease prognosis. We...
Barriers to and enablers of uptake of antiretroviral therapy in integrated HIV and tuberculosis treatment programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction Programmes that merge management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) aim to improve HIV/TB co-infected patients’ access to comprehensive treatment. However, several reports from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)...
Psychosocial interventions to promote undetectable HIV viral loads: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials
Suppressing HIV viral loads to undetectable levels is essential for ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We evaluated randomized controlled trials aimed to increase antiretroviral medication adherence and promote undetectable viral loads...
Patient perspectives on integrated healthcare for HIV, hypertension and type 2 diabetes: A scoping review
INTRODUCTION: Antiretroviral therapy has reduced mortality and led to longer life expectancy in people living with HIV. These patients are now at an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Integration...
Serious adverse drug reactions in sub-Saharan Africa in the era of antiretroviral treatment: A systematic review
We aimed to summarize and describe the burden of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the era of antiretroviral therapy. We searched Medline, CINAHL, Africa-Wide Information,...
Design, analysis, and reporting of pilot studies in HIV: A systematic review and methodological study
BACKGROUND: Pilot studies are essential in determining if a larger study is feasible. This is especially true when targeting populations that experience stigma and may be difficult to include in...
Multi-level interventions to promote oral pre-exposure prophylaxis use among adolescent girls and young women: A review of recent research
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes interventions to promote HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in HIV endemic settings, while also highlighting gaps in...
Transmitted drug resistance in antiretroviral therapy-naive persons with acute/early/primary HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: The widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has raised concerns about the emergence of HIV transmitted drug resistance (TDR). Acute HIV infection (AHI) was the most appropriate time to detect...
Barriers and opportunities for the mental health of LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV: A systematic literature review
OBJECTIVE: LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV (PLWH) experience a disproportionate burden of behavioral health conditions compared to their heterosexual, cisgender, and HIV-negative peers. This study intends...
A systematic review of HIV testing implementation strategies in sub-Saharan African countries
HIV/AIDS remains a looming presence in public health across the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The HIV Care Cascade hinges on testing and knowledge of HIV status. Though significant advances...
The cost-effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health and rights interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are an essential component of universal health coverage (UHC). In determining which SRHR interventions to include in their UHC benefits package, countries are...
