Category Archives: Health Systems
A comprehensive review of the barriers and promoters health workers experience in delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa
Despite significant biomedical and policy advances, 199,000 infants and young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) became infected with HIV in 2013, indicating challenges to implementation of these advances. To understand...
A systematic review of training interventions addressing sexual violence against marginalized at-risk groups of women
Women from marginalized groups working in occupations such as domestic work are at increased risk for sexual violence. Scarce evidence exists about training interventions targeting such groups. The article aims...
Single-session behavioral interventions for sexual risk reduction: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Evidence-based, single-session STI/HIV interventions to reduce sexual risk taking are potentially effective options for implementation in resource-limited settings and may solve problems associated with poor participant retention. PURPOSE: The...
China-Africa health development initiatives: Benefits and implications for shaping innovative and evidence-informed national health policies and programs in sub-saharan African countries
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION: This review paper examines the growing implications of China’s engagement in shaping innovative national initiatives against infectious diseases and poverty control and elimination in African countries. It...
A systematic review of cost-effectiveness studies reporting cost-per-DALY averted
INTRODUCTION: Calculating the cost per disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted associated with interventions is an increasing popular means of assessing the cost-effectiveness of strategies to improve population health. However, there...
Challenges in the evaluation of interventions to improve engagement along the HIV care continuum in the United States: A systematic review
In the United States (US), there are high levels of disengagement along the HIV care continuum. We sought to characterize the heterogeneity in research studies and interventions to improve care...
The global pendulum swing towards community health workers in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review of trends, geographical distribution and programmatic orientations, 2005 to 2014
BACKGROUND: There has been a substantial increase in publications and interest in community health workers (CHWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) over the last years. This paper examines the...
Barriers and facilitators of interventions for improving antiretroviral therapy adherence: A systematic review of global qualitative evidence
INTRODUCTION: Qualitative research on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence interventions can provide a deeper understanding of intervention facilitators and barriers. This systematic review aims to synthesize qualitative evidence of interventions for...
Effectiveness of pharmacy-based needle/syringe exchange programme for people who inject drugs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
AIMS: To appraise the evidence critically for effectiveness of pharmacy-based needle/syringe exchange programmes (pharmacy-based NSPs) on risk behaviours (RBs), HIV/HCV prevalence and economic outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID)....
The contribution of unsafe blood transfusion to human immunodeficiency virus incidence in sub-Saharan Africa: Reexamination of the 5% to 10% convention
BACKGROUND: Historical estimates have attributed 5% to 10% of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to unsafe blood transfusions. Although frequently cited, the validity of this...
