Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35850783›Full record

ArticleGlobal health research and policy2022

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa: a scoping review.

Betty B B Ackah, Michael Woo, Lisa Stallwood, Zahra A Fazal, Arnold Okpani, Ugochinyere Vivian Ukah, Prince A Adu

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Global health research and policy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 142 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
142citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

142 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  12. Correlates and Narratives of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ghana: A case study.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026
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82 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

7 authors.

Betty B B AckahSchool of Communication, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Michael WooSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Lisa StallwoodSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Zahra A FazalSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Arnold OkpaniNational Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria.
Ugochinyere Vivian UkahDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Prince A AduSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada. prince.adu@alumni.ubc.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-3983-0875

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVaccination against the novel coronavirus is one of the most effective strategies for combating the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major obstacle in several regions of the world, including Africa. The objective of this rapid review was to summarize the literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa.

methodsWe searched Scopus, Web of Science, African Index Medicus, and OVID Medline for studies published from January 1, 2020, to March 8, 2022, examining acceptance or hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. Study characteristics and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were extracted from the included articles.

resultsA total of 71 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Majority (n = 25, 35%) of the studies were conducted in Ethiopia. Studies conducted in Botswana, Cameroun, Cote D'Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe were also included in the review. The vaccine acceptance rate ranged from 6.9 to 97.9%. The major reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns with vaccine safety and side effects, lack of trust for pharmaceutical industries and misinformation or conflicting information from the media. Factors associated with positive attitudes towards the vaccine included being male, having a higher level of education, and fear of contracting the virus.

conclusionsOur review demonstrated the contextualized and multifaceted reasons inhibiting or encouraging vaccine uptake in African countries. This evidence is key to operationalizing interventions based on facts as opposed to assumptions. Our paper provided important considerations for addressing the challenge of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and blunting the impact of the pandemic in Africa.

Indexed as

COVID-19Urination DisordersVaccinesCOVID-19 VaccinesFemaleHumansMaleNigeriaVaccinationVaccination HesitancyCOVID-19 VaccinesVaccinesAcceptanceAfricaCOVID-19HesitancyScoping reviewVaccine

Identifiers

PMID35850783
PMCPMC9294808

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.