Methodological Trends and Advances in Spatial Statistics for Infectious Disease Research in Africa: A Pre-Post COVID-19 Scoping and Bibliometric Analysis

This study will systematically analyse and characterise the evolution of spatial statistical methods in infectious disease research across Africa, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2025 that employ spatial methodologies, including spatial autocorrelation, kriging, spatial regression, and Bayesian hierarchical models, and apply them to at least one African country will be analysed. Multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and African Index Medicus, will be searched, supplemented by grey literature sources, and further supplemented by reference list searches of included articles. We will synthesise data on study design, disease focus, spatial methods, software employed, and key analytical outcomes to identify methodological trends, geographic coverage, and gaps in analytical practice using bibliographic analysis. The findings have the potential to scale the adoption of spatial statistical methodologies, guide capacity-building initiatives, and support evidence-based surveillance and intervention planning in Africa.