High prevalence of critically ill patients dying in African hospitals
A new research study conducted by scholars at the University of Cape Town (UCT), in collaboration with international partners, revealed that an alarming number of patients admitted to hospitals across Africa are critically ill and die before they receive the treatment they need.
Approximately 12.5% of in-hospital patients on the continent are gravely ill. This number equates to roughly one in eight individuals. In addition, 21% of these patients die within seven days of admission, compared to 2.7% who are not critically ill.
The research study, titled “The African critical illness outcome study: a point prevalence study of critical illness in 22 nations in Africa (ACIOS)” was conducted by the African Perioperative Research Group (APORG) and published in The Lancet – a leading peer-reviewed journal. The study was conducted in partnership with UCT, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania, Queen Mary University of London, and The Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC) Network.