Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 2;23(3):143-152.
doi: 10.24875/AIDSRev.200001311.

A systematic review evaluating HIV prevalence among conflict-affected populations, 2005-2020

Divya Mishra  1 , Kelli O'Laughlin  1 , Paul Spiegel  1
Affiliations

A systematic review evaluating HIV prevalence among conflict-affected populations, 2005-2020

Divya Mishra et al. AIDS Rev. .

Abstract

Historically, there has been concern that conflict may exacerbate the HIV epidemic. We conducted a systematic review to examine HIV prevalence in conflict-affected populations compared to district-level or countrywide HIV prevalence. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies presenting original HIV prevalence data published between 2005 and 2020 were drawn from PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Data extracted included HIV prevalence, methods, dates, location, and population type. Studies were assessed for bias. Ten met criteria for data extraction; all focused on populations in sub-Saharan African. Most of the studies reported on mixed population settings while one was in a refugee camp. Six reported HIV prevalence higher than district- or country-level prevalence, while four reported lower HIV prevalence. Seven demonstrated moderate-to-high likelihood of bias in sampling, and five used methods limiting their comparability with local HIV prevalence. The relationship between armed conflict and HIV prevalence remains difficult to evaluate and likely varies by socioeconomic indicators.

Keywords: Armed conflict; Refugees; Prevalence; HIV; Sub-Saharan Africa; Systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Process of study selection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Iqbal Z, Zorn C. Violent conflict and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. J Polit. 2010;72:149–62.
    1. Omare D, Kanekar A. Determinants of HIV/AIDS in armed conflict populations. J Public Health Afr. 2011;2:e9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pharaoh R, Schonteich M. AIDS, Security, and Governance in Southern Africa: exploring the Impact. Vol. 65. Institute for Security Studies Papers; 2003. p. 14.
    1. United Nations Security Council. UN Security Council Resolution 1308 (2000) on the Responsibility of the Security Council in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: HIV/AIDS and International Peacekeeping Operations; 2000. Available from: http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/sub_landing/files/20000717_un_....
    1. Elbe S HIV/AIDS and the changing landscape of War in Africa. Int Secur. 2002;27(2):159–77.

Publication types