Strategies to Reduce the Burden of Prostate Cancer and Their Acceptability in Africa: A Scoping Review Protocol

Abstract

Highlights: Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue? Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers affecting men in Africa, with high morbidity and mortality rates due to late detection and limited access to preventive services. Mapping prevention and early detection strategies and their acceptability addresses a critical public health need to reduce disease burden and improve population health outcomes. Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health? Understanding which strategies are effective and culturally acceptable will inform targeted interventions that are more likely to be adopted in African contexts. The review will highlight gaps in knowledge and research, guiding future public health initiatives and resource allocation for prostate cancer prevention and control. Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health? Practitioners can use the findings to implement evidence-based, culturally sensitive prevention and early detection programs tailored to African populations. Policy makers and researchers can leverage the evidence to prioritize policies, funding, and research that enhance the acceptability and effectiveness of prostate cancer prevention strategies across African countries. Background/Objectives: Prostate cancer is a major public health concern and a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among men worldwide, with disproportionately high mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Late diagnosis, limited access to screening services, low health-seeking behaviour, and sociocultural barriers contribute to poor outcomes, particularly in rural settings. However, evidence on effective and context-appropriate strategies for prostate cancer prevention and early detection in African countries remains fragmented. Objective: This scoping review protocol aims to map and synthesize existing evidence on strategies implemented to reduce the burden of prostate cancer in Africa, with a focus on prevention, screening, community engagement approaches, and their acceptability. Methods: This scoping review protocol will be conducted in accordance with established methodological frameworks and reported following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search will be undertaken in PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, and ProQuest. Studies conducted in African countries and published in English, French, or Portuguese will be included. Study selection and data extraction will be managed using Covidence, and findings will be summarized descriptively and thematically. Expected Results: This review is expected to identify and categorize existing prostate cancer prevention and early detection strategies implemented across African settings. Gaps in evidence, differences in implementation, and reported levels of acceptability among men are anticipated to be highlighted. Conclusions: The completed scoping review is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of prostate cancer prevention and early detection strategies implemented in Africa and to identify gaps in evidence. The evidence will inform the development of culturally responsive and context-specific interventions, with particular relevance for rural South African settings. This manuscript presents a protocol for a scoping review; no review findings are reported.