Africa: Ouch! One in Seven Hospital Patients in Africa Suffers Severe Pain

A study led by the University of Cape Town found that 67.9% of hospitalized patients across Africa experience pain, with 14.4% suffering from severe pain. Pain was especially common among trauma patients, with 84.1% affected and 20.3% experiencing severe pain. The study highlights that acute pain is a widespread and under-addressed global health issue, linked to a higher risk of death within seven days in hospital. The findings emphasize the need to improve pain management in African hospitals.