article · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
There is an urgent need for data on SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy in Africa, especially given the high prevalence of endemic conditions such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. Understanding how COVID-19 interacts with these coinfections is vital for determining maternal and infant outcomes. Existing knowledge covers the clinical presentation of the virus in pregnant women, potential risks of preterm birth, caesarean delivery linked to severe illness, fetal health effects, and mother-to-child transmission. To address persistent evidence gaps, multicountry surveillance alongside retrospective and prospective cohort studies must be established across sub-Saharan Africa. Such initiatives allow researchers to evaluate the disease burden across varied settings and compare regional risk factors. A collaborative research network spanning Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa has begun pursuing these studies to generate evidence for supportive maternal and neonatal health policies.
Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa face distinct health challenges due to existing burdens of malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. Clarifying how COVID-19 interacts with these conditions is essential for safeguarding mothers and infants. Coordinated research across regions helps generate the clinical evidence required to inform health policies, improve hospital management, and reduce risks of adverse birth outcomes.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
In the African context, there is a paucity of data on SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated COVID-19 in pregnancy. Given the endemicity of infections such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis (TB) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is important to evaluate coinfections with SARS-CoV-2 and their impact on maternal/infant outcomes. Robust research is critically needed to evaluate the effects of the added burden of COVID-19 in pregnancy, to help develop evidence-based policies toward improving maternal and infant outcomes. In this perspective, we briefly review current knowledge on the clinical features of COVID-19 in pregnancy; the risks of preterm birth and cesarean delivery secondary to comorbid severity; the effects of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the fetus/neonate; and in utero mother-to-child SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We further highlight the need to conduct multicountry surveillance as well as retrospective and prospective cohort studies across SSA. This will enable assessments of SARS-CoV-2 burden among pregnant African women and improve the understanding of the spectrum of COVID-19 manifestations in this population, which may be living with or without HIV, TB, and/or other coinfections/comorbidities. In addition, multicountry studies will allow a better understanding of risk factors and outcomes to be compared across countries and subregions. Such an approach will encourage and strengthen much-needed intra-African, south-to-south multidisciplinary and interprofessional research collaborations. The African Forum for Research and Education in Health's COVID-19 Research Working Group has embarked upon such a collaboration across Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1553
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
