The Current Situation of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study is to facilitate a working plan for the treatment of H. pylori in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst different noninvasive and invasive tests are used for diagnosis there is a need to reach a common guideline in Sub-Saharan Africa for the treatment and diagnosis of H. pylori. The treatment procedure adopted has been demonstrated to determine the efficacy of H. pylori eradication. Treatment failures in Africa are mostly caused by resistance to antibiotics and a lack of healthcare infrastructure.This review describes the challenges in Africa in diagnosing and treating H. pylori infection together with the lack of treatment guidelines and lack of proper protocol for diagnosis. Another issue is a lack of healthcare infrastructure. H. pylori infection is common in Africa, and drug resistance adds to the infection's burden.