Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31331281›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2019

A systematic review of the epidemiology of hepatitis A in Africa.

Jenna Patterson, Leila Abdullahi, Gregory D Hussey, Rudzani Muloiwa, Benjamin M Kagina

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Jenna PattersonVaccines for Africa Initiative, University of Cape Town, Room N2.09A, Werner Beit North, Health Sciences Campus, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa. pttjen005@myuct.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3927-037X
Leila AbdullahiSave the Children International, Somaliland Country Office, Nairobi, Kenya.
Gregory D HusseyVaccines for Africa Initiative, University of Cape Town, Room N2.09A, Werner Beit North, Health Sciences Campus, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
Rudzani MuloiwaVaccines for Africa Initiative, University of Cape Town, Room N2.09A, Werner Beit North, Health Sciences Campus, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
Benjamin M KaginaVaccines for Africa Initiative, University of Cape Town, Room N2.09A, Werner Beit North, Health Sciences Campus, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
University of Cape Town · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatitis A, caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), is a vaccine preventable disease. In Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), poor hygiene and sanitation conditions are the main risk factors contributing to HAV infection. There have been, however, notable improvements in hygiene and sanitation conditions in many LMICs. As a result, there are studies showing a possible transition of some LMICs from high to intermediate HAV endemicity. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries should routinely collect, analyse and review local factors (including disease burden) to guide the development of hepatitis A vaccination programs. Up-to-date information on hepatitis A burden is, therefore, critical in aiding the development of country-specific recommendations on hepatitis A vaccination.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review to present an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of hepatitis A epidemiological data in Africa.

resultsThe main results of this review include: 1) the reported HAV seroprevalence data suggests that Africa, as a whole, should not be considered as a high HAV endemic region; 2) the IgM anti-HAV seroprevalence data showed similar risk of acute hepatitis A infection among all age-groups; 3) South Africa could be experiencing a possible transition from high to intermediate HAV endemicity. The results of this review should be interpreted with caution as the reported data represents research work with significant sociocultural, economic and environmental diversity from 13 out of 54 African countries.

conclusionsOur findings show that priority should be given to collecting HAV seroprevalence data and re-assessing the current hepatitis A control strategies in Africa to prevent future disease outbreaks.

Indexed as

AfricaDisease OutbreaksHepatitis AHepatitis A AntibodiesHospitalizationHumansImmunoglobulin MPovertyRisk FactorsSanitationSeroepidemiologic StudiesSouth AfricaHepatitis A AntibodiesImmunoglobulin MAfricaEpidemiologyHepatitis a virusMeta-analysisSeroprevalenceSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31331281
PMCPMC6647100
OpenAlexW2964086819

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.