Category Archives: Health Systems
The effect of HIV counselling and testing on HIV acquisition in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
OBJECTIVES: Annually, millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) receive HIV counselling and testing (HCT), a service designed to inform persons of their HIV status and, if HIV uninfected, reduce...
Effective non-drug interventions for improving outcomes and quality of maternal health care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Many interventions have been implemented to improve maternal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Currently, however, systematic information on the effectiveness of these interventions remains scarce. We conducted a...
Non-therapeutic infant male circumcision. Evidence, ethics, and international law perspectives
OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence of the benefits and harms of infant male circumcision, and the legal and ethical perspectives of infant male circumcision. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search...
Interventions to improve the rate or timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: Meta-analyses of effectiveness
INTRODUCTION: As global policy evolves toward initiating lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of CD4 count, initiating individuals newly diagnosed with HIV on ART as efficiently as possible will become increasingly...
A very low number of national adaptations of the World Health Organization guidelines for HIV and tuberculosis reported their processes
BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries adapt World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines instead of de novo development for financial, epidemiologic, sociopolitical, cultural, organizational, and other reasons. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate reported...
Acceptability and feasibility of point-of-care CD4 testing on HIV continuum of care in low and middle income countries: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: CD4 testing is, and will remain an important part of HIV treatment and care in low and middle income countries (LMICs). We report the findings of a systematic review...
Toward the sustainability of health interventions implemented in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and conceptual framework
BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is facing a double burden of disease with a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) while the burden of communicable diseases (CDs) remains high. Despite these...
A systematic review of interventions to improve postpartum retention of women in PMTCT and ART care
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization recommends lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV. Effective transitioning from maternal and child health to ART services, and...
Lack of sexual minorities’ rights as a barrier to HIV prevention among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Asia: A systematic review
This study set out to assess the relationship between variation in human rights for sexual minorities in Asian countries and indicators of HIV prevention among men who have sex with...
Barriers to workplace HIV testing in South Africa: A systematic review of the literature
Low workplace HIV testing uptake makes effective management of HIV and AIDS difficult for South African organisations. Identifying barriers to workplace HIV testing is therefore crucial to inform urgently needed...
The impact of criminalization of HIV non-disclosure on the healthcare engagement of women living with HIV in Canada: A comprehensive review of the evidence
INTRODUCTION: In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that people living with HIV (PLWH) must disclose their HIV status to sexual partners prior to sexual activity that poses a...
