[Epidemiology of childhood asthma in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic literature review].

Introduction: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, it is one of the most widely neglected diseases, and very few studies have focused on its occurrence during childhood. That said, two factors are known to contribute to its rapid increase. The first consists in the economic challenges related to its management, and the second concerns barriers to the implementation strategies that might reduce its global burden. With more than half of sub-Saharan Africa's population under the age of 15, childhood asthma is a critical issue that requires serious investigation.

Method: Our approach was based on documentary search using the Google and Google Scholar databases. A list containing all relevant identified documents was created in the Zotero library management system for the purposes of online bibliographic sharing. To ensure (or at least reduce) duplicated efforts and so as facilitate potential collaboration, we registered our study in accordance with the PROSPERO systematic review protocol.

Results: The results of this cross-sectional survey conclusively demonstrate that the prevalence of childhood asthma in this part of the continent is high and growing rapidly. It varies not only according to region or country, but also within the same territory. The highest levels south of the Sahara were found in East Africa, with prevalence exceeding the ISAAC protocol time trends by 23.1% in Tanzania and 21.3% in South Africa. There are many explanations for these elevated rates: (a) gaps in knowledge and perception of the disease, (b) insufficient control or deficient management, and (c) patients' divergent social levels.

Conclusion: At present, the extent and severity of childhood asthma in sub-Saharan Africa is little known. In this context, the information collected in different publications could help to orient more adequate policies and to effectively develop good practices.