Prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis infection among reproductive age women in sub Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common curable sexual transmitted bacterial infection in the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa. There is nil systematic review and meta-analysis on Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Sub-Saharan Africa among reproductive age women. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the pooled prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis infection in Sub-Saharan Africa among reproductive age women. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from biomedical data bases: Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Google scholar, HINARI and Cochrane Library using a special index search terms (medical subject headings (MeSH), title and abstract. The Cochrane Q test and I(2) statistics was used to test heterogeneity and publication bias was assessed using Begg’s and Egger’s tests. Results were presented in tables, figures and funnel plot. Data were pooled in a meta-analysis using a random effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included in this meta–analysis. There was a high level of heterogeneity among studies. The pooled prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Sub-Saharan Africa among reproductive age women was 7.8% (95% CI: 5.6–10.6). CONCLUSION: This review showed that Chlamydia trachomatis infection is high in Sub-Saharan Africa among reproductive age group women. This evidence suggests that governmental and non-governmental organization shall give attention for primary prevention of this infection. Likewise, in resource limited countries policy makers, stakeholders and health care providers’ due attention for Chlamydia trachomatis specific and rapid diagnostic test, treatment in any medical out and in patient clinics for reproductive age women.