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ARTICLE TYPE : RESEARCH ARTICLE

Published on :   17 Oct 2026, Volume - 2
Journal Title :   WebLog Journal of Family Medicine | WebLog J Fam Med | WJFM
Journal ISSN:   3144-6175
Source URL:   weblog icon https://weblogoa.com/articles/wjfm.2026.j1702
Permanent Identifier (DOI) :   doi icon https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23607565

Evolving Patterns of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Sub Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mortality and DALYs

Oluwasayo Adewumi Olatunde 1 *
Olusegun Ayo Alawode 2
Ayokunle Oluwasegun Kajero 3
Adegboyega Olalekan Alao 4
Olayinka Patrick Olowojolu 5
Tawakalit Olubukola Salam 6
1Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, NS, Canada
2Senior Registrar, Department is Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
3Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Oke-Eda, Nigeria
4Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
5QLife Family Clinic, Lagos, Nigeria
6Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa continues to shoulder a disproportionate burden of vaccine preventable diseases, yet the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine immunization programs across the region, creating immunity deficits that threaten to reverse decades of progress and amplify cross-border health risks for international travelers.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis, guided by the PRISMA protocol, synthesized evidence on mortality and DALYs for selected travel-related VPDs between 2017 and 2026. Data sources include PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library, supplemented by Global Burden of Disease datasets and WHO surveillance reports. Eligible studies reported quantitative burden estimates for the target diseases. Risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed with heterogeneity quantified via the I2 statistic and prediction intervals, using Python.

Results: Of 2,034 records identified, 43 studies met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of eight studies on tuberculosis yielded a pooled age-standardized mortality rate of 42.7 per 100,000 (95% CI: 36.2 49.8; I2 = 94.3%). Nine meningitis studies produced a pooled estimate of 6.8 per 100,000 (95% CI: 5.1-8.7; I2 = 89.4%), with a discernible temporal gradient from higher GBD 2016 estimates to lower GBD 2023 values. Measles mortality, meta-analyzed across three studies, was 4.2 per 100,000 (95% CI: 2.8-5.9; I2 = 78.5%), though with substantial between-study variation. Yellow fever, diphtheria, and tetanus estimates were descriptively compared due to methodological incompatibility. Post pandemic subgroup analysis revealed divergent trajectories: tuberculosis mortality remained stable, meningitis showed modest resurgence in disrupted settings, and measles exhibited the most pronounced spike where coverage fell below 80%.

Conclusions: The pandemic has reshaped VPD landscape in sub-Saharan Africa, with implications that extend far beyond the region's borders. For travel medicine, these findings demand dynamic risk assessment frameworks, strengthened pre-travel vaccination counselling, and harmonized cross-border surveillance systems.

Keywords: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases; Sub-Saharan Africa; Mortality; DALYs; Travel Medicine; Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Citation

Olatunde OA, Alawode OA, Kajero AO, Alao AO, Olowojolu OP, Salam TO. Evolving Patterns of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mortality and DALYs. WebLog J Fam Med. wjfm.2026.j1702. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23607565
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