Preventing and managing antimicrobial resistance in the African region: A scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Food Security
• One Health Concept

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health and food security, with high morbidity and mortality rates.
• Weak health systems in many African countries exacerbate the risks associated with increasing AMR.
• The African region faces a magnified risk of AMR due to the high burden of infectious diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map existing evidence on interventions for preventing and managing AMR in Africa.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of AMR interventions within the "One Health" framework.
• To identify strategies addressing AMR across healthcare, agricultural, and veterinary sectors.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of interventions targeting AMR in the WHO African region.
• Inclusion of studies from peer-reviewed and grey literature, including reference list and citation searches.
• Narrative synthesis of findings from diverse study designs.

Main Results:

• Interventions targeting healthcare, agricultural, and veterinary sectors will be analyzed.
• Outcomes such as reduced AMR, decreased infectious disease morbidity/mortality, and optimized antibiotic use will be assessed.
• Evidence synthesis will focus on strategies relevant to the African context.

Conclusions:

• The review will synthesize evidence on AMR interventions in Africa.
• Findings will inform strategies for combating AMR within a "One Health" approach.
• This work aims to support efforts to mitigate the impact of AMR on health and food security in Africa.