Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the majority of child pneumonia mortality and morbidity. The pooled recovery rate of children from pneumonia and its predictors is not well known in Ethiopia. AIM: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the pooled recovery rate of children from pneumonia and its predictors in Ethiopia. METHODS: The major databases used to search articles were Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, and African journals online. The data were extracted independently from eligible primary studies using a standardized spreadsheet. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale critical appraisal checklist for the cohort study. The pooled effect size with a 95% CI was estimated by the random-effects model of meta-analysis. The amount of heterogeneity across the studies was assessed by I (2). A sensitivity analysis was conducted. RESULTS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, 6173 children with pneumonia were included; out of these, 4871 had recovered. The pooled recovery rate of children from pneumonia was 17.7 (95% CI: 14.61-20.79) per 100 children per day. Children who lived in rural areas (AHR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74-0.88), stunted children (AHR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.56-0.99), children with dangerous signs (AHR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.9), not fully vaccinated children (AHR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.11-0.99), comorbid children (AHR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.48-0.65), and children with a history of respiratory infection (AHR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96) had a lower recovery rate from pneumonia. CONCLUSION: In the current study, the recovery rate of children from pneumonia was 17.7 per 100 child-days. Children living in rural areas recovered more slowly. Healthcare providers should give special attention at admission for screening of children with stunted, danger signs, not fully vaccinated, comorbid, and histories of respiratory tract infection.