Healthcare-associated infections pose one of the most severe threats to patients’ health and remain a major challenge for healthcare providers globally. Among healthcare-associated infections, surgical site infection is one of the most commonly reported infections. It remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world. The aim of this study was to provide a pooled incidence of surgical site infection among patients on a regional and global scale. This study was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines developed for systematic review and meta-analysis. The studies were searched using electronic databases (SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, DOAJ, and MedNar) from June 1st, 2022 to August 4th, 2022, using Boolean logic operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and keywords. The quality of the study was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Assessment tool to determine the relevance of each included article to the study. A comprehensive meta-analysis version 3 was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of surgical site infections among the patients. A total of 2124 articles were retrieved from the included electronic databases. Finally, after applying inclusion criteria, 43 articles conducted in 39 countries were included in the current study. The global pooled incidence of SSI was found to be 2.5% (95% CI: 1.6, 3.7). Based on the subgroup analysis by WHO region and survey period, the incidence of SSI was 2.7% (95% CI: 2.2, 3.3%) and 2.5% (95% CI: 1.8, 3.5%), respectively. The highest incidence was reported in the African Region (7.2% [95% CI: 4.3, 11.8%]) and among studies conducted between 1996 and 2001 (2.9% [95% CI: 0.9%, 8.8%]). This study revealed that the overall pooled incidence of SSI was 2.5%. SSI estimates varied among the WHO regions of the world. However, the highest incidence (2.7%) was observed in the African region. This indicates that there is a need to implement safety measures, including interventions for SSI prevention to reduce SSI and improve patient safety.

Background. Healthcare workers are at high risk of occupational exposure to needle stick injury worldwide. Occupational exposure to needle stick injury represents the most common sources of infection such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus. Thus, this review aimed to determine the career time and previous one-year global pooled prevalence of occupational exposure to needle stick injury among healthcare workers. Methods. The review considered articles written in English language and published from 2012 to 2020. The articles were searched using nine electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, SCOPUS, MedNar, and ScienceDirect) using a combination of Boolean logic operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Medical Subject Headings, and keywords. Quality assessment was performed to determine the relevance of the articles using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Several steps of assessment and evaluation were taken to select and analyze the relevant articles. Results. The worldwide pooled prevalence of needle stick injuries among healthcare workers during career time and previous one year was 56.2 (95 CI: 47.1, 64.9) and 32.4 (95 CI: 22.0, 44.8), respectively. The career time pooled prevalence of needle stick injuries based on the socioeconomic development and study area was 54.8 and 55.1, respectively, and one-year pooled prevalence of needle stick injury was 26.0 and 20.9. Conclusion. The review found a high prevalence of occupational exposure to needle stick injury among healthcare workers and suggests the need to improve occupational health and safety services in the healthcare systems.

Background: Healthcare workers are at high risk of infection from blood-borne pathogens, such as Hepatitis B and C Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency. Occupational exposure to needle-stick injuries (NSIs) continue to have a major health problem in the healthcare systems of developing countries. Thus, this review article aimed to provide the evidence on the prevalence of NSI and associated factors among healthcare workers of developing countries. Methods: The studies published from 2012 to 2019 were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Med Nar, and Science Direct. The MeSH terms and/or keywords was used in conjunction with “AND” or “OR” (Boolean logic operators). All identified keywords and an index terms were checked across the included databases. Assessment and evaluation were taken to confirm the quality and relevance of the included articles, followed by extraction and analysis of data. Result: Overall, 2021 articles were identified using specified search terms from the initial searches of the literature (2012-2019). A total of 13 articles met eligibility criteria were included in the review. Among 6513 participants, 1009 and 2201 participants involved to determine 1-year and throughout career prevalence, respectively. The prevalence of NSI ranged from 19.9% to 54.0% with an overall prevalence of 35.7% and 38.5 to 100% with an overall prevalence of 64.1% in the previous 1 year and throughout career, respectively. Sex, workload, needle recapping, overuse of injection, and practice of universal precautions, training, occupation, working experience, and personal protective equipment were among the factors associated with the prevalence of NSIs in developing countries. Conclusion: The review indicated that NSIs have been identified as one of the most serious issues that affect the health and well-being of healthcare workers in the majority of healthcare systems of developing countries. There is a need to apply safety practices or other measures to reduce the risk of NSIs.

Background: Ready-to-eat foods are foods that are consumed at the point of sale or later, without any further processing or treatment. Foodborne diseases are on the rise worldwide, involving a wide range of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, and are becoming a public health problem. Therefore, this study sought to identify and determine the bacteriological quality and public health risks in ready-to-eat foods in developing countries. Methods: The studies published from 2012 to 2020 were identified through systematic searches of various electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed and MEDLINE, MedNar, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Science Direct. The articles were searched using a Boolean logic operator (“AND,” “OR,” “NOT”) combination with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords. All identified keywords and an index term were checked in all included databases. In addition, a quality assessment is performed to determine the relevance of the article, and then the data are extracted and analyzed. Results: The current study found that the pooled prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter species, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas species, and Shigella in ready-to-eat foods was 30.24% (95% CI: 18.8, 44.65), 11.3% (95% CI: 6.6, 18.7), 9.1% (95% CI: 7.0, 11.8), 23.8% (95% CI: 17.5, 31.5), 17.4% (95% CI: 11.6, 25.31)], 26.8% (95% CI: 13.7, 45.9), 6.1% (95% CI: 2.8, 12.6), 34.4% (95% CI: 18.1-55.4), respectively. Conclusions: Most of the reviewed articles reported on various pathogenic bacterial species that are potentially harmful to human health, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Shigella, and Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat food above the maximum allowable limit. Therefore, relevant national and international organizations must take corrective measures to prevent foodborne diseases and protect human health.

Background. Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids has become a serious public health problem for healthcare workers and is a major risk for the transmission of various infections such as human immune-deficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the career time and previous one-year global pooled prevalence of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among healthcare workers. Methods. For the review, the articles published in English were searched using the electronic databases (SCOPUS/Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, DOAJ, and MedNar) with a combination of Boolean logic operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and keywords. A quality assessment was conducted to determine the relevance of the articles using JBI critical appraisal tools. Furthermore, several steps of assessment and evaluation were taken to select and analyze the relevant articles. Results. Of the 3912 articles identified through the electronic database search, 33 that met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. The current study found that the global pooled prevalence of blood and body fluids among healthcare workers during career time and in the previous one year accounted for 56.6 (95 CI: 47.3, 65.4) and 39.0 (95 CI: 32.7, 45.7), respectively. Based on subgroup analysis by publication year, survey year, and World Health Organization regions, the highest prevalence of blood and body fluid exposure in the last 12 months was observed among articles published between 2004 and 2008 (66.3), conducted between 2003 and 2008 (66.6), and conducted in the Southeast Asia Region (46.9). The highest career time prevalence was 60.6, 71.0, and 68.4 for articles published between 2015 and 2020, conducted between 2015 and 2019, and reported in the African region, respectively. Conclusion. The current study revealed a high prevalence of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among healthcare workers and suggests the need to improve occupational health and safety services in healthcare systems globally.

Background: Besides their benefits, heavy metals are toxic, persistent, and hazardous to human health, even at their lower concentrations. Consumption of unsafe concentrations of food contaminated with heavy metals may lead to the disruption of numerous biological and biochemical processes in the human body. In developing country including Ethiopia, where untreated or partially treated wastewater is used for agricultural purposes, the problems related to the consumption foods contaminated with heavy metals may poses highest risk to human health. Therefore, this review was aimed to determine the public health implications of heavy metals in foods and drinking water in Ethiopia. Methods: The articles published from 2016 to 2020 were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases that include MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAH, Google Scholar, WHO, and FAO Libraries. The data was extracted using a predetermined data extraction form using Microsoft Excel, 2016. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018 and Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools to determine the relevance of the studies. Finally, the results were evaluated based on the FAO/WHO guidelines for foods and drinking water. Results: A total of 1019 articles published from 2016 to 2020 were searched from various electronic databases and by manual searching on Google. Following the initial screening, 317 articles were retrieved for evaluation and 49 articles were assessed for eligibility, of which 21 studies were included in the systematic review. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn in fruits and vegetables ranged from 2.068–4.29, 0.86–1.37, 1.90–4.70, 1.01–3.56, 3.43–4.23, 19.18–98.15, 4.39–9.42, 1.037–5.27, 0.19–1.0, 199.5–370.4, 0.26–869 mg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Zn, and Fe in meat and milk ranged from 1.032–2.72, 0.233–0.72, 1.32–3.15, 0.79–2.96, 78.37–467.7, and 505.61–3549.9 mg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu in drinking water ranged 0.0089–0.054, 0.02–0.0237, 0.005–0.369, 0.625–2.137, and 0.176–1.176 ml/L, respectively. The mean concentration of Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn in other edible cereals ranged from 0.973–2.165, 0.424–0.55, 0.65–1.70, 70.51–81.58, 14.123–15.98, 1.89–13.8, 1.06–1.59, 67.866–110.3, and 13.686–15.4 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusion: This systematic review identified heavy metals in foods and drinking water and determined their public health implications. The results of this finding imply that the majority of the studies reported high concentrations of toxic heavy metals in foods and drinking water that are hazardous to human health. Therefore, effective food safety and risk-based food quality assessment are essential to protect the public health.