The association between HIV diagnosis disclosure and adherence to anti-retroviral therapy among adolescents living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Nine in ten of the world's 1.74 million adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus (ALHIV) live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and poor viral suppression are important problems among adolescents. To guide intervention efforts in this regard, this review presented pooled estimates on the prevalence of adherence and how it is affected by disclosure of HIV status among ALHIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: A comprehensive search in major databases (Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), PubMed, Ovid/MEDLINE, HINARI, and Google Scholar) with additional hand searches for grey literature was conducted to locate observational epidemiologic studies published in English up to November 12, 2022 with the following inclusion criteria: primary studies that reported disclosure of HIV status as an exposure variable, had positive adherence to ART as an outcome, and conducted among adolescents and children. The COVIDENCE software was used for a title/abstract screening, full-text screening, the JBI quality assessment checklist, and data extraction. Random effects model was used to pool estimates. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were also conducted by age groups and type of adherence measures used. RESULTS: This meta-analysis combines the effect estimates from 12 primary studies with 4422 participants. The prevalence of good adherence to ART was 73% (95% CI (confidence interval): 56 to 87; I2 = 98.63%, P = <0.001), and it was higher among adolescents who were aware of their HIV status, 77% (95% CI: 56 to 92; I2 = 98.34%, P = <0.001). Overall, knowledge of HIV status was associated with increased odds of adherence (odds ratio (OR) = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.21 to 2.94; I2 = 79.8%, P = <0.001). This was further supported in a subgroup analysis by age (seven studies, pooled OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.37; I2 = 81.3%, P = <0.0001) and whether primary studies controlled for confounding factors (six studies provided adjusted estimates, pooled OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.22 to 5.57; I2 = 88.1%, P = <0.001) confirmed this further. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis and systematic review revealed that knowledge of one's HIV status was associated with adherence to ART, particularly among adolescents. The findings underscored the importance of encouraging disclosure in order to enhance adherence among adolescents.

Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Bacteria Isolated from Wastewater Systems in Eastern Ethiopia.

World Health Organizations launched a global action plan on antimicrobial resistance since 2015. Along with other objectives, the plan was aimed to strengthen knowledge of the spread of antimicrobial resistance through surveillance and research. Given their high bacterial densities and that they receive antibiotics, metals, and other selective agents, wastewater systems are a logical hotspot for antibiotic resistance surveillance. The current study reports on the result of antibiotic resistance surveillance conducted in selected wastewater systems of Eastern Ethiopia from Feb. 2018 to Oct. 2019. We monitored three wastewater systems in Eastern Ethiopia, such as the activated sludge system of Dire Dawa University, waste stabilization pond of Haramaya University, and a septic tank of Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital for 18 months period. We collected 66 wastewater samples from 11 sampling locations and isolated 722 bacteria using selective culture media and biochemical tests. We tested their antibiotic susceptibility using the standard Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method on the surface of the Mueller-Hinton agar and interpreted the result according to EUCAST guidelines. The result shows the highest percentage of resistance for ampicillin among isolates of hospital wastewater effluent which is 36 (94.7%), 33 (91.7%), and 32 (88.9%) for E. coli, E. faecalis, and E. faecium, respectively. A lower rate of resistance was seen for gentamicin among isolates of activated sludge wastewater treatment system which is 10 (16.4%), 8 (13.3%), 11 (18.9%), and 12 (20.3%) for E. coli, E. faecalis, E. faecium, and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Hospital wastewater exhibited higher resistance than the other two wastewater systems. The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index (MARI) has significantly increased in the wastewater's course treatment process, showing the proliferation of resistance in the wastewater treatment system.

The association between diagnosis disclosure and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: More than eight in ten of the world's 1.65 million adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus (ALHIV) live in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and poor viral suppression are reported among ALHIV which may in turn compromise the gains achieved so far. The evidence on whether knowing one's own human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and self-disclosure to others benefit adherence to ART or not is inconclusive. This review aims to estimate the association between knowing one's HIV status and self-disclosure on adherence to ART among ALHIV in SSA. METHODS: Comprehensive search strings will be used to identify relevant observational studies published in English up to May 2020 in major databases: Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), PubMed, and Ovid/MEDLINE. To access African studies and also to freely access subscription-based articles, the African Index Medicus (AIM) and the WHO HINARI databases will be searched. The AfroLib database will be searched to access the gray literature of African studies. We will use the COVIDENCE software for title/abstract screening, full-text screening, quality assessment, and data extraction. Two authors will independently screen retrieved articles, and a third author authorized to resolve conflicts will handle disagreements. The Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical appraisal tools will be used to assess study quality. Appropriate statistical tests will be conducted to quantify the between studies heterogeneity and for the assessment of publication bias. We will check individual study influence analysis and also do subgroup analysis. The STATA version 14.2 will be used for statistical analysis. DISCUSSION: A high-level adherence to ART is required to achieve adequate viral suppression and improve quality of life. Consequently, the evidence on how adherence to ART differs with knowledge of one's own HIV status and self-disclosure may help guide interventions aimed at improving adherence to ART.