ArticleBMJ open2026
Scoping review protocol of interventions for widening access to healthcare services in people living with rare diseases in Africa.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPeople living with rare diseases in Africa face substantial barriers to accessing healthcare services, including delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options and fragmented care systems. The main objective of the scoping review is to explore and map existing interventions designed to improve access to healthcare services for individuals living with rare diseases across the African continent.
methodsDesign: The scoping review will be conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework, further refined by the enhancements proposed by Levac and colleagues. The process will follow six key stages: (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting eligible studies, (4) charting the data, (5) collating, summarising and reporting the results, and (6) stakeholder consultation. SOURCES: A comprehensive search strategy will be implemented across several electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Additionally, grey literature sources such as conference abstracts and institutional reports will be included. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies will be eligible if they were conducted in Africa, published between 2004 and 2024 and focused on interventions aimed at improving access to healthcare for people living with rare diseases. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers will screen all titles, abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved through discussion or a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a standardised extraction form. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol has obtained waiver from the ethics committee of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMUREC/M/365/2025). The findings will provide valuable insights for physicians, laboratory scientists, researchers and policymakers, highlighting pragmatic and cost-effective strategies to enhance healthcare access for individuals with rare diseases in Africa. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, conference presentations and stakeholder engagement activities.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.