A Scoping Review of Healthcare-associated Infection Rates in Neonatal and Pediatric Populations in Africa

Neonatal and pediatric mortality rates are disproportionally higher in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet data on the rates of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in this population are lacking. Using the flexible methodology of a scoping review, we aimed to identify neonatal and pediatric HAI studies not previously included in systematic reviews. We conducted a scoping review to identify studies in the World Health Organization's Africa region conducted from 2007 to 2021 that reported HAI rates in neonates and/or older children. This scoping review identified 37 studies from 14 countries. The studies confirmed widespread HAIs in children and neonates, however the variability of rate definitions and methodologies did not allow for comparisons between studies or countries. This study illustrates the largely unrecognized efforts across the WHO Africa region to estimate HAI rates in children and highlights the importance of standardizing surveillance methods to implement and monitor impact of preventative strategies.