Category Archives: Health Systems
A systematic review of the inclusion (or exclusion) of women in HIV research: From clinical studies of antiretrovirals and vaccines to cure strategies
INTRODUCTION: The effect of clinical interventions can differ due to sex/gender. Studies have shown that women are often underrepresented in medical research. The aim of this systematic literature review was...
Effective approaches for programming to reduce adolescent vulnerability to HIV infection, HIV risk, and HIV-related morbidity and mortality: A systematic review of systematic reviews
BACKGROUND: In 2012, an estimated 2.1 million adolescents were living with HIV. Though there are effective interventions to prevent and treat HIV infection, adolescents face specific barriers in accessing them....
New approaches to antiretroviral drug delivery: Challenges and opportunities associated with the use of long-acting injectable agents
Research on improved treatment of HIV infection and pre-exposure prophylaxis continues. Poor adherence to treatment is the critical risk factor for virological failure and resistance development, and long-acting formulations of...
Measures of quality of care for people with HIV: A scoping review of performance indicators for primary care
The healthcare of people with HIV is transitioning from specialty care to the primary healthcare (PHC) system. However, many of the performance indicators used to measure the quality of HIV...
Advancing the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of women living with HIV: A review of UN, regional and national human rights norms and standards
INTRODUCTION: The right to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an essential part of the right to health and is dependent upon substantive equality, including freedom from multiple and intersecting...
Comparing research investment to United Kingdom institutions and published outputs for tuberculosis, HIV and malaria: A systematic analysis across 1997–2013
BACKGROUND: The “Unfinished Agenda” of infectious diseases is of great importance to policymakers and research funding agencies that require ongoing research evidence on their effective management. Journal publications help effectively...
Systematic review of facility-based sexual and reproductive health services for female sex workers in Africa
BACKGROUND: Several biological, behavioural, and structural risk factors place female sex workers (FSWs) at heightened risk of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH)...
The role of nurses in HIV screening in health care facilities: A systematic review
OBJECTIVE: To examine nurse-driven HIV screening in various health care settings in terms of its impact on test offering, acceptance and delivery rates, nursing responsibilities, staff perceptions and long-term implementation....
Taking culture seriously in biomedical HIV prevention trials: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies
A substantial gap exists between widespread acknowledgement of the importance of incorporating cultural sensitivity in biomedical HIV prevention trials and empirical evidence to guide the operationalization of cultural sensitivity in...
Factors affecting adherence to short-course ARV prophylaxis for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A review and lessons for future elimination
Despite the biomedical potential to eliminate vertical HIV transmission, drug adherence to short regimens is often sub-optimal. To inform future programmes, we reviewed evidence on the factors influencing maternal and...