Prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Carbapenems are effective drugs against bacterial pathogens and resistance to them is considered a great public health threat, especially in notorious nosocomial pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa infections in Sub-Saharan Africa. Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and African Journal Online) were systematically searched following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2020 statements for articles reporting carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) prevalence between 2012 and 2022. Pooled prevalence was determined with the random effect model and funnel plots were used to determine heterogeneity in R. A total of 47 articles were scanned for eligibility, among which 25 (14 for carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii and 11 for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa) were included in the study after fulfilling the eligibility criteria. The pooled prevalence of CRPA in the present study was estimated at 8% (95% CI; 0.02–0.17; I(2) = 98%; P <0.01). There was high heterogeneity (Q = 591.71, I(2) = 98.9%; P<0.0001). In addition, this study’s pooled prevalence of CRAB was estimated at 20% (95% CI; 0.04–0.43; I(2) = 99%; P <0.01). There was high heterogeneity (Q = 1452.57, I(2) = 99%; P<0.0001). Also, a funnel plot analysis of the studies showed high degree of heterogeneity. The carbapenemase genes commonly isolated from A. baumannii in this study include bla(OXA23,) bla(OXA48), bla(GES.), bla(NDM,) bla(VIM), bla(OXA24), bla(OXA58), bla(OXA51), bla(SIM-1), bla(OXA40), bla(OXA66), bla(OXA69), bla(OXA91), with bla(OXA23) and bla(VIM) being the most common. On the other hand, bla(NDM,) bla(VIM), bla(IMP), bla(OXA48), bla(OXA51), bla(SIM-1), bla(OXA181), bla(KPC), bla(OXA23), bla(OXA50) were the commonly isolated carbapenemase genes in P. aeruginosa, among which bla(VIM) and bla(NDM) genes were the most frequently isolated. Surveillance of drug-resistant pathogens in Sub-Saharan Africa is essential in reducing the region’s disease burden. This study has shown that the region has significantly high multidrug-resistant pathogen prevalence. This is a wake-up call for policymakers to put in place measures to reduce the spread of these critical priority pathogens.