Introduction Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella (chicken pox) and
herpes zoster (shingles). Worldwide, these diseases are associated with
significant morbidity. Most of the epidemiological data on VZV come from high
income countries. There are few data on VZV in Africa, where tropical climates
and high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are expected to impact the epidemiology of
VZV. Safe and effective vaccinations for both varicella and herpes zoster
exist, but are not routinely used in Africa. There are very few data available
on VZV disease burden in Africa to guide the introduction of these vaccines on
the continent. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review of the VZV-associated
morbidity and mortality in Africa, which will provide critical information
that could be used to develop vaccination policies against these diseases in
Africa. Methods and analysis Electronic databases will be searched and all
studies published after 1974 that meet predefined criteria will be assessed.
The primary outcomes for the study are VZV incidence/prevalence,
hospitalisation rates and total death rates. The secondary outcome for this
study is the proportion of VZV hospitalisations and/or deaths associated with
HIV/AIDS. Two reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts, and then
independently review the full texts, to determine if studies are eligible for
inclusion. A risk of bias and quality assessment tool will be used to score
all included studies. Following standardised data extraction, a trend analysis
using R-programming software will be conducted to investigate the trend of
VZV. Depending on the characteristics of included studies, subgroup analyses
will be performed. This review will be reported according to the Preferred
Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Ethics and dissemination As this is a protocol for a systematic review, which
will use already published data, no ethics approval is required. Findings will
be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number
CRD4201502614