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. 2025 Sep 16;15(9):e099863.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-099863.

Progression from uncomplicated to severe malaria among children in settings receiving different malaria control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review protocol

Erick Jacob Okek  1   2 , Julius Lutwama  3 , Alison Annet Kinengyere  4 , Juliet Asio  5 , Silvia Awor  6 , Kirsty Le Doare  7 , Benson Musinguzi  8 , James Obondo Sande  2 , Moses Ocan  9 , Jonathan Kayondo  10
Affiliations

Progression from uncomplicated to severe malaria among children in settings receiving different malaria control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review protocol

Erick Jacob Okek et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Background: Different malaria control measures are deployed simultaneously in endemic settings globally, with varying impacts on malaria burden. In sub-Saharan Africa, which bears the greatest burden of malaria, evidence on the impact of implementing various control interventions on malaria immunity remains unknown. This systematic review seeks to collate evidence on the extent of progression from uncomplicated to severe malaria among populations in sub-Saharan Africa settings receiving concurrent deployment of various malaria control measures.

Methods: The review will use a priori criteria contained in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. An experienced librarian (AAK) will independently search for articles from the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus and Google Scholar. Boolean operators 'AND' and 'OR' will be used in the article search. Identified articles will be managed using EndNote. Article screening for inclusion and data extraction will be done in duplicate by two reviewers (EJO, and BM). Data extraction tools will be developed and customised in Excel. Data will be analysed using both narrative and quantitative synthesis. The level of heterogeneity between study outcomes will be measured using the I2 statistic. Subgroup analysis will be conducted to explore heterogeneity and establish the impact of different control interventions on progression from uncomplicated to severe malaria. A full systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to be ready for dissemination by the end of December 2025.

Ethical consideration and dissemination of findings: This study did not involve human participants and so ethical approval was not sought. A full review and a meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences.

Prospero registration number: CRD 42024619945.

Keywords: Adolescent; Case-Control Studies; Clinical Trial; Immunity; Malaria; Systematic Review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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