ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the leading threats to global public health and this may increase following COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly the case in Africa where regulations on antimicrobial usage are weak. This protocol outlines the steps to undertake a systematic review to synthesize evidence on drivers of AMR and evaluate existing approaches to strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). On the basis of the evidence generated from the evidence synthesis, the overarching goal of this work is to provide recommendations to support best practices in AMS implementation in SSA. METHODS: A systematic search will be conducted using the following databases: Global Health Library, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Google Scholar, Global Health, Embase, African Journals Online Library, Web of Science, antimicrobial databases (WHO COVID-19, TrACSS, NDARO, and JPIAMR), and the Cochrane databases for systematic reviews. Studies will be included if they assess AMR and AMS in SSA from January 2000 to January 31, 2023. RESULTS: The primary outcomes will include the drivers of AMR and approaches to AMS implementation in SSA. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses will guide the reporting of this systematic review. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are expected to provide evidence on best practices and resource sharing for policy consideration to healthcare providers and other stakeholders both at the local and international levels. Additionally, the study seeks to establish drivers specific to AMR during the COVID-19 era in the SSA, for example, with the observed increasing trend of antimicrobial misuse during the first or second year of the pandemic may provide valuable insights for policy recommendation in preparedness and response measures to future pandemics. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022368853.
Subject(s)
Antimicrobial Stewardship , COVID-19 , Humans , Pandemics , Policy , Africa South of the Sahara , Systematic Reviews as TopicABSTRACT
The discovery and development of vaccines remain one of the major successes of global health with millions of lives saved every year through routine vaccination. Although vaccines provide a safe and cost-effective solution to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), VPDs are still a serious public health problem in most parts of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. In this review, we discuss the burden of VPDs and vaccine coverage several decades after the introduction of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in Cameroon. We also discuss how different factors affect the implementation of the EPI, highlighting context-specific factors such as the ongoing civil conflict in Cameroon, and the presence of other infectious diseases like COVID-19.