Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41340162›Full record

SynthesisArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2025

Prevalence, predictors and adverse perinatal outcomes of placental malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aklilu Alemayehu, Girum Tesfaye Kiya, Solomon Berhanu, Ahmed Zeynudin, Joseph Beyene, Delenasaw Yewhalaw

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

Synthesis in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
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

6 authors.

Aklilu AlemayehuSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. aaakealex59@gmail.com.
Girum Tesfaye KiyaSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Solomon BerhanuDepartment of Epidemiology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Ahmed ZeynudinSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Joseph BeyeneDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Delenasaw YewhalawSchool of Medical Laboratory Science, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlacental malaria (PM) is among the leading public health problems associated with adverse outcomes for the mother, the foetus, and the newborn, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although there are many studies published on PM in SSA, comprehensive evidence for targeted interventions is limited. Thus, this study aimed to synthesize evidence on the prevalence, predictors, and adverse perinatal outcomes of PM in SSA.

methodsPertinent studies online searching, selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were conducted. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analyzed by STATA Version 17.0. Pooled estimates were determined by random-effect meta-analyses. Sub-group analysis was conducted to account for sources of heterogeneity.

resultsOverall, 178 observational studies published from 2000 to 2024 involving 93,809 parturient women from 23 countries were included. The overall pooled prevalence of PM in SSA was 25.1% (95% CI: 22.0-28.3), which was 16.9% (95% CI: 12.3-21.6), 19.1% (95% CI: 17.4-20.9), 24.8% (95% CI: 20.9-28.8), and 34.8% (95% CI: 29.3-40.2) by RDT, microscopy, PCR, and histopathology, respectively. Predictors of PM were: younger age (OR = 2.50 95% CI: 1.89-3.12), primigravidae (OR = 2.65 95% CI: 2.12-3.18), primiparae (OR = 1.62 95% CI: 1.23-2.01), not using insecticide-treated nets (OR = 2.11 95% CI: 1.34-2.89), not using ANC (OR = 7.43 95% CI: 2.47-12.40), not using intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (OR = 1.98 95% CI: 1.42-2.54), MiP history (OR = 3.05 95% CI: 1.85-4.25), HIV infection (OR = 2.67 95% CI: 1.22-4.62), and delivering during rainy season (OR = 2.24 95% CI: 1.05-4.07). The pooled prevalence of gestational malaria and congenital malaria was 22.1% (95% CI: 19.8-24.5) and 7.6% (95% CI: 6.5-8.8), respectively. The pooled prevalence of LBW, maternal anaemia, preterm delivery, small-for-gestational age, stillbirth and neonatal malaria was 12.7% (95% CI: 11.1-14.3), 39.0% (95% CI: 34.1-44.0), 11.2% (95% CI: 9.0-13.4), 17.9% (95% CI: 13.7-22.1), 3.4% (95% CI: 2.0-5.1), and 6.9% (95% CI: 3.9-9.8), respectively. PM increased the odds of maternal anaemia (OR = 2.18 95% CI: 1.73-2.63) and LBW (OR = 1.71 95% CI: 1.26-2.16).

conclusionPlacental malaria was a multifactorial and multifaceted significant health problem with many adverse perinatal outcomes in SSA. Concerted efforts targeting the identified predictors through multidimensional approaches are needed. The protocol of this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO with the code number: CRD42024528199.

Indexed as

Adverse perinatal outcomeCongenital malariaMalaria in pregnancyMeta-analysisPlacental malariaPlasmodium falciparumSub-Saharan AfricaSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41340162
PMCPMC12683931

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.