HIV Research Trends and Outputs Across Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis (2004-2023).

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) faces unique challenges in addressing HIV. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of HIV research trends in the EMR (2004-2023) using the Scopus database and Bibliometrix. Among 7,162 publications identified (12.14% annual growth), five research clusters emerged, with HIV epidemiology being predominant. Research foci evolved from basic science to applied and multidisciplinary areas, with COVID-19 emerging recently. A negative, binomial, multilevel, regression model assessed relationships between country-level factors and research output. Countries with higher HIV prevalence and Human Development Index showed greater research productivity. This analysis provides insights for improving research capacity in lower-resource settings and enhancing knowledge translation across the EMR.