Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Gender-based Violence in SAARC Territories from 2010 to 2020: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence is a key global concern due to the high prevalence and increased socio-economic burden for survivors. However, estimation of the prevalence of gender-based violence is difficult due to differences in study design and underreporting of abuse, especially in developing nations. Therefore, we conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of Gender-based violence among women living in the SAARC region. METHODS: The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020219577). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed throughout the review. A thorough database search was conducted to identify studies done in the SAARC region. Title and abstract screening were done in Covidence, followed by a full-text review. Data were extracted and pooled for analysis using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subgroup analysis was done where possible. RESULTS: A total of 76 studies were included in the systematic review and metaanalysis. The community prevalence of domestic violence (DV) was 43.8% (95% CI, 35.1% - 52.9%), GBV prevalence was 34.9% (95% CI, 30.2% - 39.9%) and IPV prevalence was 39.8% (95% CI, 30.7% - 49.6%). GBV prevalence was highest in illiterate women [54.2% (95% CI, 46.8% - 61.5%)] and lowest among women with higher than secondary level education [23.1% (95% CI, 16.2% - 32.0%)]. The prevalence of GBV among women in pregnancy or postpartum period was 32.3% (95% CI, 25.1% - 40.4%, I2: 98.64), while among female sexual workers, the prevalence of Gender-based violence was 42.1% (95% CI, 28.1% - 57.5%, I2: 99.25). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of Gender-based violence in the SAARC region. Higher socioeconomic status and educational status are protective factors for Gender-based violence. However, more studies using validated tools are needed to understand the true extent of the problem.

Successful Treatment of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient With Ribavirin.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a frequent cause of respiratory tract infections in children. Still, it can also cause seasonal outbreaks affecting persons of all ages, especially those with comorbidities or immunocompromised states. Ribavirin is one of the two approved therapies for the treatment of RSV respiratory tract infections. Unfortunately, its aerosolized formulation has been approved only in children, and the oral formulation is not frequently used to treat the infection. However, ribavirin has demonstrated morbidity and mortality benefit in immunocompromised patients. A 70-year-old female had started chemotherapy for a diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). She developed an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) along with positive RSV status. We started her on oral ribavirin therapy, which had to be stopped after five days of treatment due to an acute hemolytic reaction. She was re-initiated on oral ribavirin after cessation of medication for seven days and showed improvement. Therefore, ribavirin can be used in immunocompromised patients with RSV infection under proper supervision.