SynthesisBMC ophthalmology2025
Prevalence and associated factors of retinopathy of prematurity in sub‑Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta‑analysis.
Synthesis in BMC ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment practice patterns: an African multi-country survey.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2026Article
- Risk factors and prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity in very low birth weight preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is gaining prominence in childhood blindness with increasing neonatal survival in resource-constrained areas. There is an impending "new ROP epidemic" in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet regional data remain limited and controversial. Estimation of the burden, and identification of modifiable risk determinants, is critical in guiding screening and prevention policies.
methodsSystematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and institutional repositories were searched (January 2000-July 2025) for observational studies on SSA ROP prevalence in preterm or low-birth-weight neonates. Two reviewers screened studies independently, extracted data, and appraised quality with the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Logit transformed proportions, random-effects meta-analytic approach estimated pooled prevalence, and heterogeneity and publication bias assessed by Cochran's Q, I
resultsTwelve studies from nine countries involving 11.212 infants met the inclusion criteria and eleven were included in the meta-analysis the pooled prevalence of any ROP was 22.0%(95%CI: 16.6-28.4%), with moderate heterogeneity (I
conclusionApproximately 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.
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