The burden of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Herbert Melariri; Robert Freercks; Elizabeth van der Merwe; Wilma Ten Ham-Baloyi; Opeoluwa Oyedele; Richard A Murphy; Clarissa Claasen; Paschal Emeka Etusim; Maureen Okam Achebe; Shadrach Offiah; Paula E Melariri

doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102571

The burden of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

EClinicalMedicine. 2024 Apr 8:71:102571. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102571. eCollection 2024 May.

Authors

Herbert Melariri^{1

2}, Robert Freercks^{2

3}, Elizabeth van der Merwe^{2

4}, Wilma Ten Ham-Baloyi⁵, Opeoluwa Oyedele^{6

7}, Richard A Murphy^{8

9}, Clarissa Claasen¹⁰, Paschal Emeka Etusim¹¹, Maureen Okam Achebe¹², Shadrach Offiah¹³, Paula E Melariri¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital, South Africa.
² School of Medicine, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.
³ Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Livingstone Tertiary Hospital, South Africa.
⁴ Department of Adult Critical Care, Livingstone Tertiary Hospital, South Africa.
⁵ Department of Nursing Science, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Computing, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Namibia, Namibia.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.
⁸ White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT, United States.
⁹ Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
¹⁰ Livingstone Tertiary Hospital, South Africa.
¹¹ Unit of Public Health/Environmental Parasitology and Entomology, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.
¹² Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.
¹³ Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
¹⁴ Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

Abstract

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. These infections are diverse, but the majority are lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), surgical site infection (SSI), bloodstream infection (BSI), and urinary tract infection (UTI). For most sub-Saharan African countries, studies revealing the burden and impact of HAI are scarce, and few systematic reviews and meta-analysis have been attempted. We sought to fill this gap by reporting recent trends in HAI in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with attention to key patient populations, geographic variation, and associated mortality.

Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a literature search of six electronic databases (Web of Science, Pubmed, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) to identify studies assessing the prevalence of HAI in SSA countries. Studies published between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2023 were included. We applied no language or publication restrictions. Record screening and data extractions were independently conducted by teams of two or more reviewers. Using the R software (version 4.3.1) meta and metafor packages, we calculated the pooled prevalence estimates from random-effect meta-analysis, and further explored sources of heterogeneity through subgroup analyses and meta-regression. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023433271.

Findings: Forty-one relevant studies were identified for analysis, consisting of 15 from West Africa (n = 2107), 12 from Southern Africa (n = 2963), 11 from East Africa (n = 2142), and 3 from Central Africa (n = 124). A total of 59.4% of the patient population were associated with paediatric admissions. The pooled prevalence of HAI was estimated at 12.9% (95% CI: 8.9-17.4; n = 7336; number of included estimates [k] = 41, p < 0.001). By subregions, the pooled current prevalence of HAI in the West Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa and Central Africa were estimated at 15.5% (95% CI: 8.3-24.4; n = 2107; k = 15), 6.5% (95% CI: 3.3-10.7; n = 2963; k = 12), 19.7% (95% CI: 10.8-30.5; n = 2142; k = 11) and 10.3% (95% CI: 1.1-27.0; n = 124; k = 3) of the patient populations respectively. We estimated mortality resulting from HAI in SSA at 22.2% (95% CI: 14.2-31.4; n = 1118; k = 9).

Interpretation: Our estimates reveal a high burden of HAI in SSA with significant heterogeneity between regions. Variations in HAI distribution highlight the need for infection prevention and surveillance strategies specifically tailored to enhance prevention and management with special focus on West and East Africa, as part of the broader global control effort.

Funding: No funding was received for this study.

Keywords: Burden; Healthcare; Hospital-acquired infections; Nosocomial; Sub-Saharan Africa; Trends.