The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis study was to summarize and analyze the hospital-acquired infection (HAI) burden and related evidence in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from 41 studies conducted in this region from 2014 to 2023 was extracted for HAI prevalence, hospital mortality, and types. The authors report a pooled HAI prevalence of 12.9% in the included studies, with the highest rates observed in East and West Africa and high mortality (22.2%) in patients who had HAI. Surgical site infections and bloodstream infections were the most prevalent HAI types in sub-Saharan Africa. The most common settings were surgical and emergency wards, intensive care units, and maternity. The study also highlighted the low level of healthcare infrastructure and access to basic needs such as water and sanitation, few trained healthcare providers, and limited resources. This review is very important in that it provided strong evidence in support of a policy reform and investment needed to reduce HAI cases in Africa. It may be used as a valuable evidence to inform and support the discourse on patient safety and infection prevention and control at the global level.

Melariri, H., Freercks, R., van der Merwe, E., Ten Ham-Baloyi, W., Oyedele, O., Murphy, R. A., ... & Melariri, P. E. (2024). The burden of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102571