Prevalence of human onchocerciasis in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Onchocerciasis is a vector-borne disease caused by the tissue nematode Onchocerca volvulus. Despite its importance for targeted intervention, the national prevalence is not well addressed in Ethiopia.

This review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of human onchocerciasis in Ethiopia.

All literature published from 1973 to July 2022 were included in the present review A systematic review and meta-analysis was done following PRISMA guideline and checklists. Studies conducted on the prevalence of onchocerciasis in Ethiopia were searched from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and MEDLINE databases. Comprehensive meta-analysis version 2.2 software was used to calculate the pooled prevalence. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using Cochrane Q test and I2 test statistics based on the random effects model.

Twenty-one studies, which recruited a total of 14,983 participants, were included in the present review. The overall pooled prevalence of Onchocerca volvulus in Ethiopia was 31.8% using the random effect model. The heterogeneity between studies was high and significant (Q = 2881.2, I2 = 99.3%, P-value < 0.001).

The prevalence of onchocerciasis is high in Ethiopia, despite the implementation of prevention and control measures. Therefore, the existing mass drug administration program should be strengthened.