Category Archives: Health Systems
Feasibility of antiretroviral treatment monitoring in the era of decentralized HIV care: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Regular monitoring of HIV patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) is required to ensure patient benefits and the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of ART programs. Prompted by WHO...
Barriers and enablers of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS program in China: A systematic review and policy implications
OBJECTIVE: To identify the barriers to and enablers of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program in China. METHODS: A systematic review of the existing literature regarding barriers...
Community-based participatory research studies on HIV/AIDS prevention, 2005–2014
The recent literature on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to preventing HIV infection in diverse communities was systematically reviewed as part of the planning process for a new study. Published...
PET brain imaging in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy
Effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has lead to a significant reduction in the prevalence and incidence of central nervous system (CNS) HIV-associated brain disease, particularly CNS opportunistic infections and HIV...
Diagnostic value and safety of stereotactic biopsy in acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with intracranial lesions: Systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value and safety of stereotactic biopsy in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with intracranial lesions via meta-analysis. METHODS: Relevant cohort studies were identified through...
Use of peers to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy: A global network meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: It is unclear whether using peers can improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). To construct the World Health Organization’s global guidance on adherence interventions, we conducted a systematic review...
Interferon-free therapies for patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 infection: A systematic review
Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with genotype 3 remains a challenge. The HCV elimination rate with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) is lower than the values reported for other HCV...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
