Prevalence and determinants of poor outcome in patients with chronic kidney disease in low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health burden globally, associated with high healthcare costs and mortality rates. In Africa, the prevalence of CKD is estimated at around 10-15% in adults, with factors such as HIV, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease contributing to its prevalence. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in sub-Saharan Africa between 2018 and 2023. We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and Cochrane Review from 2018 until 2023, and we included studies that looked at the prevalence of chronic kidney disease. The secondary outcome of interest was patient as defined by any cause of mortality. A comprehensive search yielded 10 studies for analysis, reporting a prevalence rate of CKD ranging from 9.8% to 29.9%. Factors such as age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were found to be associated with CKD prevalence. A total of 6,963 patients were involved in the studies. However, none of the included studies explored the outcome of mortality among CKD patients. The study was found to have a good assessment using the Ottawa-Newcastle scoring for cross-sectional studies. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is high. The outcomes of chronic kidney disease are poorly explored in sub-Saharan Africa.