Category Archives: Health Systems
The impact of social services interventions in developing countries: A review of the evidence of impact on clinical outcomes in people living with HIV
BACKGROUND: Social service interventions have been implemented in many countries to help people living with HIV (PLHIV) and household members cope with economic burden as a result of reduced earning...
Diagnosing acute and prevalent HIV-1 infection in young African adults seeking care for fever: A systematic review and audit of current practice
Fever is a common complaint in HIV-1 infected adults and may be a presenting sign of acute HIV-1 infection (AHI). We investigated the extent to which HIV-1 infection was considered...
Rifapentine for latent tuberculosis infection treatment in the general population and human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients: Summary of evidence
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfection are challenges in the control of tuberculosis transmission. We aimed to assess and summarize evidence available in the literature regarding the...
A systematic review of treatment fatigue among HIV-infected patients prescribed antiretroviral therapy
HIV treatment requires lifelong adherence to medication regimens that comprise inconvenient scheduling, adverse side effects, and lifestyle changes. Antiretroviral adherence and treatment fatigue have been inextricably linked. Adherence in HIV-infected...
Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B virus co-infection in sub-Saharan Africa and the potential impact and program feasibility of hepatitis B surface antigen screening in resource-limited settings
BACKGROUND: Screening people living with HIV for hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection is recommended in resource-rich settings to optimize HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mitigate HBV-related liver disease. This review...
Lessons learned from a review of interventions for adolescent and young key populations in Asia Pacific and opportunities for programming
BACKGROUND: Over a third of new HIV infections globally are among 15-24 year-olds and over 20% among adolescents aged 10-19 years in Asia Pacific. The review was initiated to identify...
The enabling effect of food assistance in improving adherence and/or treatment completion for antiretroviral therapy and tuberculosis treatment: A literature review
Socioeconomic costs of HIV and TB and the difficulty of maintaining optimal treatment are well documented. Social protection measures such as food assistance may be required to offset some of...
Ethical issues surrounding the provider initiated Opt-Out Prenatal HIV screening practice in Sub-Saharan Africa: A literature review
BACKGROUND: Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV remains a key public health priority in most developing countries. The provider Initiated Opt-Out Prenatal HIV Screening Approach, recommended by the...
Reproductive health and family planning needs among HIV-infected women in Sub-Saharan Africa
OBJECTIVE: Review key topics and recent literature regarding reproductive health and family planning needs for HIV-infected women in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Electronic searches performed in PubMed, JSTOR, and Web of...
A comprehensive review of available epidemiologic and HIV service data for female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs in select West and Central African countries
OBJECTIVE: To identify gaps in epidemiologic and HIV service coverage data for key populations (KP), including men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), people who inject...
A community empowerment approach to the HIV response among sex workers: Effectiveness, challenges, and considerations for implementation and scale-up
A community empowerment-based response to HIV is a process by which sex workers take collective ownership of programmes to achieve the most effective HIV outcomes and address social and structural...
