Publications by authors named "Muhammad S Jamil"
Background: By 2021, Pakistan had an estimated 210 000 people living with HIV (PLHIV), and 27% of those initiated into treatment in 2020 had disengaged from care within one year.
Aim: We assessed the effectiveness of an intervention to re-engage PLHIV lost to follow-up into care in Pakistan.
Methods: Between September 2020 and May 2021, the Association of People Living with HIV (APLHIV) implemented a search and rescue intervention for PLHIV lost to follow-up in 2 large treatment centres in Pakistan.
Objective This study aims to determine whether disease activity was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the Pakistani population with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Rheumatology Department of the National Hospital & Medical Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, from April 2021 to June 2022. A sample of 60 patients, both male and female, diagnosed with a case of SLE was collected through the purposive sampling technique.
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- Monkeypox (mpox), caused by the MPX virus, had a global outbreak in 2022-2023 due to a new variant, clade IIb, primarily affecting men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).
- A study analyzed mpox case reports submitted to the WHO from May 2022 to December 2023, revealing that most cases were adult males, predominantly MSM, with common symptoms including rash and fever.
- Concerns were raised about data completeness, as reported cases might be significantly lower than actual occurrences, affecting regional response strategies; however, collaborative efforts among EMR countries showed promise for future preparedness.
Introduction: Social network-based testing approaches (SNAs) encourage individuals ("test promoters") to motivate sexual partners and/or those in their social networks to test for HIV. We conducted a systematic review to examine the effectiveness, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of SNA.
Methods: We searched five databases from January 2010 to May 2023, and included studies that compared SNA with non-SNA.
Caregiver-assisted testing using HIV self-test (CG-HIVST) kits has been proposed to enhance paediatric HIV case finding and contribute toward ending paediatric HIV/AIDS by 2030. We conducted a systematic review to assess the risks and benefits of CG-HIVST. We searched nine electronic databases and consulted experts to identify relevant articles through 5 February, 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo maximise the benefits of HIV self-testing (HIVST), it is critical to support self-testers in the testing process and ensure that they access appropriate prevention and care. To summarise systems and tools supporting HIVST (hereafter, 'support systems') and categorise them for future analysis, we synthesised the global data on HIVST support systems and proposed a typology. We searched five databases for articles reporting on one or more HIVST support systems and included 314 publications from 224 studies.
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- * Despite effective linkage to care strategies, such as same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy for those with HIV, strategies for HIV prevention interventions for HIV-negative individuals are still lacking.
- * A scoping review of existing literature identified only 9 studies focused on linkage to prevention out of 66 relevant studies, indicating a significant gap in research and implementation of strategies for HIV prevention compared to those for care.
Objectives: In 2015 and 2016, WHO issued guidelines on HIV testing services (HTS) highlighting recommendations for a strategic mix of differentiated HTS approaches. The policy review examines the uptake of differentiated HTS approaches recommendations in national policies.
Methods: Data were extracted from national policies published between January 2015 and June 2019.
Article Synopsis
- Community-based oral PrEP provision, aided by HIV self-testing, shows promise for expanding access but may risk inappropriate use and drug resistance due to lower testing sensitivity compared to traditional methods.
- * A simulation study conducted in western Kenya evaluated the effectiveness and cost of various HIV testing methods combined with PrEP scale-up over 20 years, finding a 29% PrEP coverage could significantly reduce HIV infections and related deaths.
- * Drug resistance rates were low across testing scenarios, with self-testing methods showing slightly higher resistance compared to provider-administered tests, but overall drug resistance remained manageable.
Objectives: In 2019, the WHO released guidelines on HIV testing service (HTS). We aim to assess the adoption of six of these recommendations on HIV testing strategies among African countries.
Design: Policy review.
Background: HCV self-testing (HCVST) may be an effective strategy to address low rates of HCV test uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM). We evaluated the effectiveness and cost of providing HCVST to increase HCV test uptake among MSM in China.
Methods: Two parallel, unmasked, individual-level randomized controlled trials were conducted.
Background: Syphilis is causing epidemics in many countries. Syphilis self-testing (SST) has potential to increase testing and treatment coverage in the same manner as documented for self-testing of, for example, HIV, hepatitis C virus, and COVID-19. We aimed to synthesise current evidence on the utility of SST.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Of 37.7 million people living with HIV in 2020, 6.1 million still do not know their HIV status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCost-effectiveness of Hepatitis C virus self-testing in four settings.
PLOS Glob Public Health
April 2023
Globally, there are approximately 58 million people with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) but only 20% have been diagnosed. HCV self-testing (HCVST) could reach those who have never been tested and increase uptake of HCV testing services. We compared cost per HCV viraemic diagnosis or cure for HCVST versus facility-based HCV testing services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HIV testing services (HTS) are the first steps in reaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals to achieve and maintain low HIV incidence. Evaluating the effectiveness of different demand creation interventions to increase uptake of efficient and effective HTS is useful to prioritize limited programmatic resources. This review was undertaken to inform World Health Organization (WHO) 2019 HIV testing guidelines and assessed the research question, "Which demand creation strategies are effective for enhancing uptake of HTS?" focused on populations globally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionally affected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and many remain undiagnosed. HCV self-testing (HCVST) may be an effective approach to increase testing uptake, but has rarely been used among PWID. We assessed the usability and acceptability of HCVST among PWID in Kenya.
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- Key populations at high risk for HIV and syphilis, such as sex workers and drug users, were studied to determine the health and economic benefits of different testing strategies using a dual rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in Vietnam.
- Five testing scenarios were modeled over a 15-year period, revealing that annual testing with the dual RDT was the most cost-effective method, preventing numerous HIV and syphilis cases.
- The findings suggest that implementing annual dual testing among these high-risk groups is an efficient approach to help meet global targets for reducing HIV and syphilis infections.
Purpose Of Review: Improving HIV testing uptake is essential to ending the HIV pandemic. HIV testing approaches can be opt-in, opt-out or risk-based. This systematic review examines and compares the uptake of HIV testing in opt-in, opt-out and risk-based testing approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To compare the usability and acceptability of oral fluid- and blood-based HIV self-test kits among men who have sex with men in Australia.
Design: Randomised crossover trial.
Setting, Participants: Gay, bisexual, and other men aged 18 years or older who have sex with men, who attended two metropolitan sexual health clinics in Sydney and Melbourne, 7 January - 10 December 2019.
Background: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is an innovative HIV testing approach that effectively reaches those who do not otherwise test, including key populations (KPs). Despite potential benefits, HIVST is not currently implemented in Pakistan. The high risk of HIV among transgender (TGs) persons is among the highest risk group for HIV in Pakistan, yet knowledge of HIV status remains low in this key population group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Men with HIV are less likely than women to know their status, be on antiretroviral therapy, and be virally suppressed. This review examined men's community-based HIV testing services (CB-HTS) outcomes.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Background: Hepatitis C virus self-testing (HCVST) may increase test uptake especially among marginalized key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted an observational study to assess the usability, acceptability and feasibility of HCVST among MSM in China.
Methods: An observational study with convenience sampling was performed among MSM in Guangzhou, China in 2019.
Background: Hepatitis C virus self-testing (HCVST) is an additional approach that may expand access to HCV testing. We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional observational study to assess the usability and acceptability of HCVST among people who inject drugs (PWID), men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) people in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Methods: The study was conducted from December 2019 to June 2020 among PWID at one harm reduction site and among MSM/TG at one community-based organization.