Prevalence and associated factors of retinopathy of prematurity in sub‑Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta‑analysis
Approximately one in five at-risk preterm infants in SSA develops ROP, a burden comparable to that seen in middle-income regions. As neonatal care advances, survival gains are creating new blindness risks unless screening and prevention systems are rapidly implemented. The findings imply that, when practical, improving neonatal care procedures such as enhancing oxygen monitoring, preventing infections, and encouraging breastfeeding may reduce the burden of ROP. However, implementation needs to be tailored to the capacity of the health system and local resources.
Authors
- N. Ben Salah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0166-7715)
- A.A. Mohamed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6117-3559)
- Intisar Khalafalla (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1085-4011)
- Abdulkarim Ismail Qarbote
- Zakaria Omar Sheck
- Fathi Abdi Farah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4877-2226)
- Abdikarim Ahmed Warsame
- Amina Mohamed Mire
- Bahja Ahmed Mumin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0989-9245)
- Mohamed Farah Ismail (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2594-6728)
- Amina Aden Ahmed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8545-7250)
- Ibrahim Abdirahman Mohamed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1877-0211)
- Sowda Abdikarim Sheikh Isse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1857-0318)
Institutions
- Kampala International University (UG)
- Clarke International University (UG)
- International Hospital Kampala (UG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Ophthalmology
- Published
- 2025-12-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-025-04572-0
- Primary Topic
- Retinopathy of Prematurity Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00