Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in sub-Saharan Africa
METHODS: We conducted a protocol-driven systematic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Global Health, supplemented by a manual search of the abstracts from thoracic conference proceedings from 2017 to 2020. We did a meta-analysis of COPD prevalence and its association with current smoking.
RESULTS: We identified 831 titles, of which 27 were eligible for inclusion in the review and meta-analysis. The population prevalence of COPD ranged from 1.7% to 24.8% (pooled prevalence: 8%, 95% CI 6–11). An increased prevalence of COPD was associated with increasing age, smoking and biomass smoke exposure. The pooled odds ratio for the effect of current smoking (vs. never smoked) on COPD was 2.20 (95% CI 1.62–2.99).
CONCLUSION: COPD causes morbidity and mortality in adults in SSA. Smoking is an important risk factor for COPD in SSA, and this exposure needs to be reduced through the combined efforts of clinicians, researchers and policymakers to address this debilitating and preventable lung disease.
Keywords: COPD; meta-analysis; risk factors; sub-Saharan Africa; systematic review
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Centre for Health Informatics, Computing & Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK, Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia 2: Department of Internal Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria, Department of Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria 3: Centre for Health Informatics, Computing & Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK 4: University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Cambridge, UK, African Centre for Clean Air, Kampala, Uganda 5: Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK 6: COPD Research Group, Imperial College, London, UK 7: Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
Publication date: March 1, 2022
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