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
. 2023 Oct 5:65:102255.
doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102255. eCollection 2023 Nov.

The burden of non-communicable diseases among people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Maureen Moyo-Chilufya  1 , Kuhlula Maluleke  1 , Kabelo Kgarosi  1 , Monde Muyoyeta  2 , Charles Hongoro  1   3 , Alfred Musekiwa  1
Affiliations

The burden of non-communicable diseases among people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Maureen Moyo-Chilufya et al. EClinicalMedicine. .

Abstract

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing among people living with HIV (PLHIV), especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We determined the prevalence of NCDs and NCD risk factors among PLHIV in SSA to inform health policy makers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of NCDs and risk factors among PLHIV in SSA. We comprehensively searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and EBSCOhost (CINAHL) electronic databases for sources published from 2010 to July 2023. We applied the random effects meta-analysis model to pool the results using STATA. The systematic review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021258769).

Findings: We included 188 studies from 21 countries in this meta-analysis. Our findings indicate pooled prevalence estimates for hypertension (20.1% [95% CI:17.5-22.7]), depression (30.4% [25.3-35.4]), diabetes (5.4% [4.4-6.4]), cervical cancer (1.5% [0.1-2.9]), chronic respiratory diseases (7.1% [4.0-10.3]), overweight/obesity (32.2% [29.7-34.7]), hypercholesterolemia (21.3% [16.6-26.0]), metabolic syndrome (23.9% [19.5-28.7]), alcohol consumption (21.3% [17.9-24.6]), and smoking (6.4% [5.2-7.7]).

Interpretation: People living with HIV have a high prevalence of NCDs and their risk factors including hypertension, depression, overweight/obesity, hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome and alcohol consumption. We recommend strengthening of health systems to allow for improved integration of NCDs and HIV services in public health facilities in SSA. NCD risk factors such as obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and alcohol consumption can be addressed through health promotion campaigns. There is a need for further research on the burden of NCDs among PLHIV in most of SSA.

Funding: This study did not receive any funding.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Meta-analysis; Non-communicable diseases; People living with HIV; Sub-Saharan Africa; Systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests both financial and non-financial.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Selection of studies on non-communicable diseases among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Sub–Saharan Africa (SSA).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Map showing countries where included studies on the burden of NCD/risk factors among PLHIV in SSA were conducted.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Pie chart showing study designs for the burden of NCD/risk factors among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of selected conditions among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of hypertension among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of depression among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of diabetes among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of cervical cancer among PLHIV in SSA.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Forest plot of pooled estimates generated by meta-analyses for prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases among PLHIV in SSA.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS . UN interagency task force on NCDs. UNAIDS; Geneva: 2019. Responding to the challenges of noncommunicable diseases; p. 6.
    1. Hofman K. Non-communicable diseases in South Africa: a challenge to economic development. S Afr Med J. 2014;104(10):647. doi: 10.7196/samj.8727. - DOI - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization . World Health organization; Geneva: 2022. Noncommunicable diseases – progress Monitor 2022.
    1. Juma K., Nyabera R., Mbugua S., et al. Cardiovascular risk factors among people living with HIV in rural Kenya: a clinic-based study. Cardiovasc J Afr. 2019;30(1):52–56. doi: 10.5830/CVJA-2018-064. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Peer N. The converging burdens of infectious and non-communicable diseases in rural-to-urban migrant Sub-Saharan African populations: a focus on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and cardio-metabolic diseases. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines. 2015;1:6. doi: 10.1186/s40794-015-0007-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed