Scoping Review of Good Samaritan Laws on the African Continent

Emergency bystander assistance saves lives, yet the legal landscape governing this care in the prehospital setting is poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa. Good Samaritan laws (GSLs), which are provisions that protect individuals who voluntarily render aid in emergency situations, are well-documented in high-income countries but have received little systematic attention in sub-Saharan African contexts. This gap limits advocacy efforts, creates legal uncertainty for bystanders and medical professionals, and may discourage life-saving interventions. This project addresses this gap through a scoping review of statutory provisions relevant to Good Samaritan protections across sub-Saharan Africa. Using a census approach, we reviewed publicly available legal sources, including penal codes, case law, judicial precedent, and targeted statutory searches, for each country in the region. Sources were reviewed hierarchically until a relevant provision was identified or all available sources were exhausted. For each country, we assessed whether any GSL or functionally equivalent provision existed and the nature of relevant (non-GSL) legal protections across five core domains: (1) duty to assist, (2) imminent peril, (3) no expectation of compensation, (4) limited liability for medical professionals, and (5) consent. Where identifiable, we also documented relevant advocacy efforts related to GSLs in these settings. The expected outcome of this project is a scoping review that characterizes the current state of Good Samaritan protections across sub-Saharan Africa. This resource is intended to serve as a baseline for researchers, policymakers, and advocates working to understand or advance emergency care legislation in the region.