Category Archives: Testing
Evaluation of blood-based antibody rapid testing for HIV early therapy: A meta-analysis of the evidence
Background: Western blot (WB) assay is considered the gold standard test for HIV infection confirmation. However, it requires technical expertise and is quite time-consuming. WHO recommends blood-based rapid diagnosis to...
Economic strengthening for HIV testing and linkage to care: A review of the evidence
Delayed HIV diagnosis and enrollment in HIV care can lead to negative health outcomes for individuals and pose major barriers to achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment targets. Household economic strengthening...
Is UNAIDS 90-90-90 target a dream or a reality for Middle East and North Africa region on ending the AIDS epidemic? A review study
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is lagging far behind the global average to reach 90-90-90 targets. This study uses the UNAIDS 90-90-90 program to evaluate the HIV current...
A scoping review of the role of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in noncommunicable disease care
BACKGROUND: People living with HIV are increasingly burdened by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as a result of the NCD susceptibility that accompanies increased life expectancy and the rising global prevalence of...
Social capital and HIV/AIDS in the United States: Knowledge, gaps, and future directions
Purpose: Social capital is a well-established predictor of several behavioral health outcomes. However, we know less about the relationship with prevention, transmission, and treatment of HIV/AIDS outcomes in the United...
Injection drug use, HIV/HCV, and related services in nonurban areas of the United States: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Injection drug use (IDU) in nonurban areas of the United States is a growing public health concern, but there has been no comprehensive assessment of existing research on injection-related...
Interventions to increase testing, linkage to care and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people in prisons: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: While the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is significantly higher among people in prisons compared to the general population, testing and treatment uptake remain suboptimal. The...
Influence of faith-based organisations on HIV prevention strategies in Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains of global significance and there is a need to target sub-Saharan Africa since it is the hardest hit region worldwide. Religion and more specifically faith-based...
Effective interventions to improve young adults’ linkage to HIV care in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
HIV/AIDS remains a major public health problem despite the efforts to prevent and decrease its spread. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) represents 70% of the global number of people living with HIV...
Geospatial indicators of space and place: A review of multilevel studies of HIV prevention and care outcomes among young men who have sex with men in the United States
Young men who have sex with men (YMSM), particularly YMSM who are racial/ethnic minorities, are disproportionately affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States. These HIV...