SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS TARGETING TRUCK-DRIVERS WITHIN EAST AFRICA
(2024) MPHN40 20201Social Medicine and Global Health
- Abstract (Swedish)
- ABSTRACT
Background: In the growing body of knowledge on how human environment impacts population health, the transport sector is observed to occupy strategic position. However, the transport corridors equally serve as sources of socio-economic challenges. Such is the case of the transport sector’s contribution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In this respect, truckers are observed to carry a disproportionate burden of both the disease and the risks. Similarly, the host communities exhibit their vulnerability as a result of poverty hence falling prey to temptations of sex-trade. Despite these realities, the gaps in the knowledge base on transport sector as a determinant of health remain extensive. To contribute to the discourse on linking... (More) - ABSTRACT
Background: In the growing body of knowledge on how human environment impacts population health, the transport sector is observed to occupy strategic position. However, the transport corridors equally serve as sources of socio-economic challenges. Such is the case of the transport sector’s contribution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In this respect, truckers are observed to carry a disproportionate burden of both the disease and the risks. Similarly, the host communities exhibit their vulnerability as a result of poverty hence falling prey to temptations of sex-trade. Despite these realities, the gaps in the knowledge base on transport sector as a determinant of health remain extensive. To contribute to the discourse on linking evidence to policy, we sought to interrogate HIV/AIDS programming targeted at truckers within East Africa.
Methods: To identify articles for inclusion into the study, a dual search strategy was assumed. The initial search was conducted through LUBsearch and electronic resources, a library database that plays host to academic and bibliographic databases while a complementary search was completed independently through PubMed. The search terms used were HIV or AIDS or Programs or Programming and Truckdrivers or Rwanda or Kenya or Uganda or South Sudan or Tanzania or Burundi or East Africa. In the initial search, the inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed research articles published in English between 2015 – 2020 on HIV subject and accessible at Lund University while in the complementary search, HIV subject was substituted with AIDS. Subsequently, a quality assessment was conducted along various aspects of trustworthiness. Finally, a narrative account of the findings was conducted while meta-analysis was conducted using the weighted average method.
Results: From the search, six articles were included in the narrative synthesis while four articles qualified for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The included studies were all conducted in Kenya within a roadside wellness clinic intervention. From the narrative synthesis, the emerging themes were: risky sexual behaviors; access to HIV testing and counselling services (HTC); use of approaches grounded on strong theoretical basis in HIV/AIDS programming; innovative approaches to scale up HTC services; barriers to access of HTC services and the economic impact of HIV/AIDS. In the meta-analysis, a resultant odds ratio of 2.5 was obtained.
Conclusion: HIV testing serves both as a preventive measure and as the entry point into care and treatment. In this respect, the use of technology in communicating health messages is observed as an innovative approach to leverage on for increased HIV testing. In addition, self-testing has equally been observed to significantly influence the testing rates. The preference on oral HIV testing and home-based testing demonstrate readiness for transition into these convenient options of HIV testing. Similarly, the observed correlation between drug abuse and uptake of HIV testing demonstrate opportunities that could be exploited for joint programming. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9171701
- author
- Ndegwa, Boniface Gachara
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MPHN40 20201
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9171701
- date added to LUP
- 2024-08-14 14:31:31
- date last changed
- 2024-08-14 14:31:31
@misc{9171701,
abstract = {{ABSTRACT
Background: In the growing body of knowledge on how human environment impacts population health, the transport sector is observed to occupy strategic position. However, the transport corridors equally serve as sources of socio-economic challenges. Such is the case of the transport sector’s contribution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In this respect, truckers are observed to carry a disproportionate burden of both the disease and the risks. Similarly, the host communities exhibit their vulnerability as a result of poverty hence falling prey to temptations of sex-trade. Despite these realities, the gaps in the knowledge base on transport sector as a determinant of health remain extensive. To contribute to the discourse on linking evidence to policy, we sought to interrogate HIV/AIDS programming targeted at truckers within East Africa.
Methods: To identify articles for inclusion into the study, a dual search strategy was assumed. The initial search was conducted through LUBsearch and electronic resources, a library database that plays host to academic and bibliographic databases while a complementary search was completed independently through PubMed. The search terms used were HIV or AIDS or Programs or Programming and Truckdrivers or Rwanda or Kenya or Uganda or South Sudan or Tanzania or Burundi or East Africa. In the initial search, the inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed research articles published in English between 2015 – 2020 on HIV subject and accessible at Lund University while in the complementary search, HIV subject was substituted with AIDS. Subsequently, a quality assessment was conducted along various aspects of trustworthiness. Finally, a narrative account of the findings was conducted while meta-analysis was conducted using the weighted average method.
Results: From the search, six articles were included in the narrative synthesis while four articles qualified for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The included studies were all conducted in Kenya within a roadside wellness clinic intervention. From the narrative synthesis, the emerging themes were: risky sexual behaviors; access to HIV testing and counselling services (HTC); use of approaches grounded on strong theoretical basis in HIV/AIDS programming; innovative approaches to scale up HTC services; barriers to access of HTC services and the economic impact of HIV/AIDS. In the meta-analysis, a resultant odds ratio of 2.5 was obtained.
Conclusion: HIV testing serves both as a preventive measure and as the entry point into care and treatment. In this respect, the use of technology in communicating health messages is observed as an innovative approach to leverage on for increased HIV testing. In addition, self-testing has equally been observed to significantly influence the testing rates. The preference on oral HIV testing and home-based testing demonstrate readiness for transition into these convenient options of HIV testing. Similarly, the observed correlation between drug abuse and uptake of HIV testing demonstrate opportunities that could be exploited for joint programming.}},
author = {{Ndegwa, Boniface Gachara}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS TARGETING TRUCK-DRIVERS WITHIN EAST AFRICA}},
year = {{2024}},
}