Intersecting epidemics: COVID-19 and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review (2020-2022)

Talent Tapera; Clifford Odimegwu; Rebaone Petlele; Matshidiso Valeria Sello; Armstrong Dzomba; Oluwatoyin Aladejebi; Million Phiri

doi:10.4081/jphia.2023.2658

Authors

Talent Tapera
talent.tapera@gmail.com
Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8894-0683
Clifford Odimegwu Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6273-8807
Rebaone Petlele Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7897-0803
Matshidiso Valeria Sello Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5278-4490
Armstrong Dzomba MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit – Agincourt, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Oluwatoyin Aladejebi Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5746-0313
Million Phiri Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1663-7503

Background. There has been significant progress with regards to winning the fight against HIV globally, particularly due to the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART). COVID-19 threatened to derail gains in the fight against HIV. As we have started to see with studies on COVID-19 and HIV, there is a need to "provide an in-depth view" in understanding the dynamics between the two epidemics, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We, therefore, undertook a systemic review of existing literature to synthesize the effects of COVID-19 on the utilization of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa, the literature on the risks associated with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lastly, the innovations and strategies adopted to continue receiving treatment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods. We conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2020 and April 2022. We searched for relevant sub-Saharan studies in the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, J-STOR, and Science Direct. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search identified 647 papers, and after screening, 41 were in line with the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.

Results. There was evidence of the negative effects of COVID-19 on reducing HIV testing, ART treatment, and HIV prevention services. There is evidence pointing to the need for people living with HIV to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations. Innovations and strategies implemented to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on HIV services include community-based ART distribution, multi-month ART dispensing, the use of digital technologies, and the use of the already existing HIV infrastructure to fight COVID-19.

Conclusion. It is still imperative that future studies explore the predictors of utilization of HIV services in the advent of COVID-19.

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Talent Tapera, Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Health, Population and Nutrition, United States Agency for International Development, Harare, Zimbabwe

Million Phiri, Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Department of Population Studies, School of Humanities and Social sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Tapera, T., Odimegwu, C., Petlele, R., Sello, M. V., Dzomba, A., Aladejebi, O., & Phiri, M. (2023). Intersecting epidemics: COVID-19 and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review (2020-2022). Journal of Public Health in Africa, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2658