Category Archives: Health Systems
Predictors of maternal HIV acquisition during pregnancy and lactation in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
OBJECTIVES: To eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, global institutions recommend using a risk-guided approach for HIV prevention services in antenatal and postnatal settings. Identifying predictors of maternal HIV acquisition can...
Nurse training to enhance adherence counselling for HIV-tuberculosis coinfection in South Africa: Integrative review
Background South Africa has seen strides in reducing HIV and tuberculosis (TB); however, adherence counselling for people living with HIV (PLHIV) coinfected with TB remains a challenge, particularly in specific...
Community-based psychosocial support interventions to reduce stigma and improve mental health of people with infectious diseases: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Stigma experienced by people with infectious diseases impedes access to care, leading to adverse psychosocial consequences. Community-based interventions could prevent or mitigate these consequences but lack robust evidence. This...
Prevalence and associated factors of HIV among female sex workers in Eastern and Southern Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Female sex workers (FSWs) are marginalized groups of the population who have limited access to healthcare and a higher risk of HIV infection due to biobehavioral and structural risk...
Barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review
BACKGROUND: The uptake of HIV partner status notification remains limited in low- and lower-middle-income countries. This mixed-methods systematic reviewAÿaims to summarize the barriers and facilitators of HIV partner status notification...
Depressive symptoms and HIV viral suppression: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Previous research suggests that depression impacts HIV outcomes, including viral suppression. This meta-analysis quantifies the association between depression and HIV viral suppression. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed,...
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and its associated factors among children living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Children living with HIV in low-income settings, such as in Eastern and Southern Africa, are at a high risk for poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy. However, various primary studies presented...
Application of the COM-B model to facilitators and barriers to HIV and STI testing among people from Black African and Black Caribbean communities in the UK: A scoping review
OBJECTIVE: Individuals from Black African and Black Caribbean communities (black communities) in the UK bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while exhibiting lower testing rates....
Barriers to PrEP use and adherence among adolescent girls and young women in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa: A scoping review
BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Globally, in 2022, an estimated 4000 AGYW 15–24 were newly infected with HIV weekly, and nearly 78% of...
Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of HIV care in HIV-positive clients entering HIV care with advanced HIV disease in sub-Saharan Africa 2010–2022: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Background and aims: Sub-Saharan Africa drives global HIV-related mortality, and patients continuously present with advanced HIV disease (AHD) at diagnosis. We describe prevalence, predictors, and treatment outcomes in HIV clients with...
Caring for a young child who is HIV exposed and whose HIV status is not yet known: A scoping review of mothers’ experiences
Living with HIV can affect mothers’ wellbeing, functioning, and experiences of caregiving. Most research about caregiving in the context of HIV comes from studies of dyads where both mother and...