Radiology practice in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 outbreak: points to consider

Abstract

COVID-19 is a rapidly growing pandemic that has grown from a few cases in Wuhan, China to millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide within a few months. Sub-Saharan Africa is not spared. Radiology has a key role to play in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 as literature from Wuhan and Italy demonstrates. We therefore share some critical knowledge and practice areas for radiological suspicion and diagnosis. In addition, emphasis on how guarding against healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) by applying “red” and “green” principle is addressed. Given that pandemics such as COVID-19 can worsen the strain on the scantily available radiological resources in this region, we share some practical points that can be applied to manage these precious resources also needed for other essential services. We have noted that radiology does not feature in many main COVID-19 guidelines, regionally and internationally. This paper therefore suggests areas of collaboration for radiology with other clinical and management teams. We note from our local experience that radiology can play a role in COVID-19 surveillance.

An Africa point of view on quality and safety in imaging

“…This interest may be attributed to participation in global health themes and programs like sustainable development goals (SDGS), basic safety standards (BSSs), Bonn Call for Action (BCA), universal health coverage and the launch of Africa’s radiation safety campaign [ 1 – 5 ]. This is further compounded by a shift in disease burden exemplified by change in trends of neglected tropical diseases, maternal and childhood diseases, non-communicable diseases, trauma, cancer, HIV, tuberculosis and of recent the COVID-19 pandemic [ 6 – 8 ]. The launch of Africa’s radiation safety campaign, AFROSAFE.in 2015, enhanced awareness, mobilized and focused Africa toward imaging quality and safety [ 9 ].…”

Minohealth.ai: A Clinical Evaluation of Deep Learning Systems for the Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion and Cardiomegaly in Ghana, Vietnam and the United States of America

“…This implies that the performance of the AI models is comparable to multiple radiologists working together to diagnose an image. In regions like Sub Saharan Africa, where radiologists are scarce and are also overloaded with other clinical responsibilities (Mutala et al, 2020), solutions like the AI models will be of great utility. These solutions can achieve the performance of multiple radiologists working together to complement the efforts of radiologists and ease the burden on them.…”