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Conversely, a paucity of data regarding cause-and-effect relationships inhibits our understanding of the extent to which disease transmission occurs. In parts of Africa where the management of IMW is not prioritized, the risks to public health, along with its global implications cannot be ignored.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A systematic literature search following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted across five electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest and Ovid. Relevant studies were identified using keywords such as \u2018infectious medical waste\u2019, \u2018infectious diseases\u2019, \u2018routes of infection\u2019, \u2018route of transmission\u2019, \u2018epidemics\u2019, \u2018diseases\u2019, \u2018sub-Sahara Africa\u2019, and \u2018infectious waste management\u2019.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, 6721 articles were retrieved from the search, 6634 of which were excluded due to a lack of alignment with the study objectives. After screening, 87 studies were deemed eligible and were included in the review. Our findings identified 11 diseases that are potentially transmissible via IMW. These include Anthrax, Crimean-congo haemorrhagic Fever, Ebola Virus Disease, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Lassa Fever, Measles, Monkeypox, Plague, and Rift Valley Fever. Disease transmission may occur via human contact with different classes of IMW, contaminated materials and accessories.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Medical waste can be a source of infectious disease transmission. However, evidence of such a pathway is currently unavailable due to a paucity of scientific data. Therefore, further research is needed to establish cause-and-effect relationships.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/22799036261470478","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T10:11:22Z","timestamp":1784283082000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Infectious medical waste (IMW) and disease transmission: A critical public health challenge in Africa and the global implications \u2013 A systematic review"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Jeffrey N. 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