SynthesisAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2024
Surveillance of antimicrobial utilization in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prescription rates, indications, and quality of use from point prevalence surveys.
Synthesis in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Proportion and antibiogram of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence, antibiogram, and risk factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) asymptomatic carriage in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Determinants of antibiotic prescription pattern and appropriateness in paediatric care in Ghana: a generalized estimating equation approach.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Antibiotic Prescribing in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients Before Implementation of a Syndromic Antibiogram at Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique.Pediatric reports · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Utilization Pattern of Veterinary Drugs in Selected Veterinary Clinics of Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia.Veterinary medicine and science · 2026Article
- Antibiotic utilization in outpatient and inpatient hospitals in Zambia: a systematic review, key findings and public health implications.Infection prevention in practice · 2026Review
- Evaluation of inpatient antibiotic prescribing patterns using WHO indicators in Northern Ethiopia: a prospective cross-sectional study identifying stewardship gaps.BMC research notes · 2026Article
- Factors influencing antibiotic-resistant bacteria colonization among community and hospitalized individuals in Chennai, India: an Antibiotic Resistance in Communities and Hospitals (ARCH) study.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2026Article
- A One-Health Perspective onEnvironmental health insights · 2026Review
- Third-generation Cephalosporin resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Communications medicine · 2025Article
- Antimicrobial Consumption and Utilisation in Zambia: Results from the Analysis of National Data for the Human and Animal Health Sectors.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Antimicrobial resistance at a turning point: microbial drivers, one health, and global futures.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health concern that is fueled by the overuse of antimicrobial agents. Low- and middle-income countries, including those in Africa,. Point prevalence surveys (PPS) have been recognized as valuable tools for assessing antimicrobial utilization and guiding quality improvement initiatives. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prescription rates, indications, and quality of antimicrobial use in African health facilities.
methodsA comprehensive search was conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Hinari (Research4Life) and Google Scholar. Studies reporting the point prevalence of antimicrobial prescription or use in healthcare settings using validated PPS tools were included. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to combine the estimates. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Q statistics, I² statistics, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's regression test, with a p-value of < 0.05 indicating the presence of bias.
resultsOut of 1790 potential studies identified, 32 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prescription rate in acute care hospitals was 60%, with significant heterogeneity (I
conclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis provide valuable insights into antimicrobial utilization in African health facilities. The findings highlight the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship and infection control programs to address the high prevalence of irrational antimicrobial prescribing. The study emphasizes the importance of conducting regular surveillance through PPS to gather reliable data on antimicrobial usage, inform policy development, and monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating AMR.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.