Prevalence of injecting drug use and HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aghaei, Ardavan Mohammad; Gholami, Jaleh; Sangchooli, Arshiya; Rostam–Abadi, Yasna; Olamazadeh, Sogol; Ardeshir, Maryam; Baheshmat, Shahab; Shadloo, Behrang; Taj, Mahshid; Saeed, Khalid; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin

doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00267-x

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Based on similarities in social, cultural, geographical proximity, developmental indices and findings regarding substance use [13][14][15][16] Prevalence of the last 12-month use of alcohol was chosen for data synthesis at the country, subregional and regional levels to evaluate the extent of alcohol use among the male and female adult and young general populations. A series of selection and synthesis rules were developed based on evidence grade and the prevalence indicator.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This regional review has been conducted by a team of experts with a deep understanding of substance use in the Eastern Mediterranean region [13,14] and reported in concordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline (Supporting information, S1). This study was part of a larger assessment on substance use and use disorder (alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, cocaine, khat and inhalants), associated harms and treatment services in the Eastern Mediterranean region [15,16].…”

Section: Search Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alcohol use, alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review

Rostam‐Abadi,

Gholami,

Shadloo

et al. 2024

Addiction

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Background and amsDespite the evident public health impact, the extent and patterns of alcohol use in the Eastern Mediterranean countries remain understudied. The latest estimation for the last 12‐month use of alcohol in the region was 2.9% in 2016 by the World Health Organization. We reviewed the main indicators for alcohol consumption in the region since 2010.MethodsWe systematically searched on‐line databases until September 2023, together with other global and regional sources for studies on the adult general population (aged ≥ 15 years) and young general populations (aged < 18 years) and studies on the treatment‐seeking individuals with substance use in Eastern Mediterranean countries. Studies were included from 22 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.ResultsA total of 148 were included (n = 95 on the prevalence of alcohol use, n = 46 on the prevalence of alcohol use disorder, regular use and heavy episodic drinking, n = 35 on alcohol use pattern among people who use substances and one report on alcohol per capita consumption, n = 29 had data for more than one category). The pooled prevalence of the last 12‐month alcohol use in the adult general population was 9.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.4–13.7] among males, 2.8% (95% CI = 1.3–5.5\) among females and 6.2% (95% CI = 3.9–9.6) in both sexes in the region, with notable subregional variations. Data on the prevalence of alcohol use disorder and heavy drinking were limited to several countries, with heterogeneous indicators. The pooled estimate of alcohol as the primary substance of use among treatment‐seeking people who used substances was 16.9% (95% CI = 8.8–26.9).ConclusionsMore than 30 million adults in the Eastern Mediterranean region used alcohol in the last 12 months, with a prevalence of 6.2%. This is far fewer than the global estimate of 43% of the population aged 15 years and above, but is approximately two times more than the previous estimate (2.9%), reported by the World Health Organization in 2016, which might show an increasing trend.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Search Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Alcohol use, alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review

Rostam‐Abadi,

Gholami,

Shadloo

et al. 2024

Addiction

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“…This indicates the increasing burden of viral hepatitis complicating VL patients that would affect the treatment outcomes resulting in disease severity and mortality. Although there was no previous data about the pooled prevalence of HBV and HCV on VL patients, systematic review and meta-analysis studies reported a combined prevalence of HBV and HCV; 13.7 and 24.7% ( Yu et al, 2020 ), 10.5 and 5.4% ( Kenfack-Momo et al, 2022 ), 4.8 and 1.0% ( Wu et al, 2023 ), 2.66 and 44.82% ( Aghaei et al, 2023 ), 1.97 and 1.88% ( Nasiri et al, 2023 ), and 2.89 and 21.57% ( Mehmandoost et al, 2022 ), respectively. This variation is due to the difference in study populations, hepatitis burden in geographic location, and healthcare provision systems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among visceral leishmaniasis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Assefa,

Biset

2024

Front. Microbiol.

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BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections during multiple injections and the anti-leishmanial treatment possesses a potential hepatotoxic effect. This systematic review and meta-analysis determined the pooled prevalence of HBV and HCV infections in VL patients.MethodsThis study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), with the assigned number CRD42024516889, and conducted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using STATA version 11.0 software. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect size of outcome variables across studies with a 95% confidence interval and was displayed in a forest plot. The I2 statistic was used to check for heterogeneity. The presence of publication bias was determined using a funnel plot and Egger’s test with a p value <0.05 evidence of statistically significant bias.ResultsAmong 216 retrieved records, seven studies were eligible for systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 937 VL patients were examined, revealing that 105 and 93 were infected with HBV and HCV, respectively. The pooled prevalence of HBV was 16.15% (95% CI: −4.10 to 36.39), with a significant heterogeneity (I2 = 91.4%, p < 0.001). The combined prevalence of HCV was 13.74% (95% CI: 1.32–26.16, I2 = 71.6%, p = 0.003). The funnel plot (symmetry), and Egger’s test in both HBV (p value = 0.650) and HCV (p value = 0.841) revealed no publication bias. In subgroup analysis, high HBV and HCV prevalence was detected in Sudan; 20.64% (95% CI: −13.60 to 54.88) and India; 18.26% (95% CI: −0.40 to 36.92%), respectively.ConclusionThis study revealed a high prevalence of both HBV and HCV infections in VL patients. In subgroup analysis, the prevalence of HBV and HCV was high in Sudan and India, respectively. Therefore, screening of VL patients for HBV and HCV, vaccination of VL patients in endemic regions, and collaboration between kala-azar and hepatitis elimination programs are required.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/export_details_pdf.php#page=1.00&gsr=0, identifier: CRD42024516889.

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“…2 Other studies have also found a correlation between HBV and HCV, and drug use, especially among people who inject drugs. [16][17][18] There are several reasons why the prevalence of HBV and HCV is high among people who inject drugs. Sharing needles and other drug preparation equipment is one of the reasons why hepatitis rates are high in this population groups.…”

Section: Risk Factors For Hepatitis B and Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatitis Screening in Community Pharmacies as a Measure of Reducing the Rate of Infections

Dave

2024

J. Drug Delivery Ther.

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The burden of dealing with HBV and HCV still remain despite the progress that has been made in screening, vaccination, and treating the infections. On average, there about 354 million cases of hepatitis globally. Hepatitis has high mortality rates. On average, 1.1 million people lose their lives to the infections each year. Addressing hepatitis requires rigorous measures one of them being increasing screening. Hepatitis infections are identified through screening. As such, screening and taking the right preventative and treatment measures can help to reduce the risk of infections. However, screening is still a challenge. The number of people who screen for hepatitis remains low despite the efforts that have been put in place to increase uptake. The uptake of screening is low because of inadequate access to screening centers. Thus, increasing screening settings can help to increase uptake. Community pharmacies can help to bridge this barrier by making screening more accessible. They are accessible and in close proximity to vulnerable populations, which makes them ideal as screening settings. This review explores the potential of community pharmacies as screening settings for HBV and HCV and whether they can help to reduce the rate of infections. Keywords: screening, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, community pharmacies

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Prevalence of injecting drug use and HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 17 publications

References 28 publications

Alcohol use, alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review

Alcohol use, alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among visceral leishmaniasis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hepatitis Screening in Community Pharmacies as a Measure of Reducing the Rate of Infections

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