Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex, devastating condition characterised by a sudden reduction in renal function, leading to increased mortality and healthcare costs globally. Outcomes of AKI are worsened by factors such as limited access to healthcare, delayed hospital presentation and underlying comorbidities, which severely affect patients in sub-Saharan Africa. The renal resistive index (RRI) has come into view as an encouraging non-invasive imaging approach for the early prediction of AKI. However, the use of the RRI for AKI prediction in sub-Saharan Africa is poorly documented. This research aims to map and describe the evidence for using the RRI for the early detection of AKI in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews will be used for this study. It will include a comprehensive search of electronic databases, grey literature (including academic proceedings), as well as an extensive literature review of relevant journals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews will also be used as a guide. Discrepancies will be handled by consensus or by consulting a third reviewer. This evidence synthesis will explore the usefulness and accuracy of the RRI for early prediction of AKI in sub-Saharan Africa, where the patients are generally younger and have different AKI risk predictors and cardiovascular profiles compared with patients in high-income countries. Evidence of implementation and associated challenges will also be explored. These challenges may include limited access to specialised ultrasound equipment and a lack of trained healthcare providers proficient in RRI measurement and interpretation. The findings will inform future studies and be useful for healthcare providers, policymakers and patient advocates seeking sustainable strategies for preventing AKI.

Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. The findings of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented to decision-makers, health system administrators and healthcare providers at national and international academic conferences.

Globally, drug shortages affect low-, middle- and high-income countries to different degrees. The challenges associated with drug shortages in health systems, particularly in public health facilities, and the consequent multiple adverse effects on patients and the health systems have led countries to continue to explore and implement different strategies to combat this challenge. Various factors implicated in drug shortages range from manufacturing concerns, demand issues, supply chain disruptions and regulatory issues. The effects of drug shortages in health systems range from poor patient compliance and therapeutic failure to antimicrobial resistance, low morale among healthcare workers and public distrust in government services. Furthermore, the effects of drug shortages in public health facilities include unavailability of drugs to patients, hospitalisation and readmissions, and associated costs that could be avoided, high out-of-pocket expenditures suffered by patients as patients resort to buying drugs from private pharmacies where the prices are usually exorbitant and prohibitive, putting patients at risk of treatment default due to lack of affordability. Successful mitigation strategies deployed to prevent and manage drug shortages in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain unshared despite the potential of these strategies to serve as valuable lessons if the evidence is scientifically synthesised and reported. The scoping review will synthesise evidence to provide policy guidance for better planning of health services and resources, resulting in improved quality of life for citizens, underscoring the importance of functional and responsive health systems.

Using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology, a five-stage review is outlined: (1) determining the research question, (2) search strategy, (3) inclusion criteria, (4) data extraction and (5) analysis and presentation of the results. The literature search will use PubMed, SCOPUS and the Elsevier Science Direct search interfaces, reflecting empirical and grey literature. We will focus on literature published between 2000 and 2025. The study start and end dates are 1 September–30 November 2025. A two-stage screening process will be used to determine the eligibility of articles. All articles will be individually assessed for eligibility by two reviewers, while a third reviewer will resolve any disagreements. The data from eligible articles will be extracted and charted using a standardised form. Extracted data will be analysed using narrative and descriptive analyses.

Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review as it will use only previously published data. It does not require human participation. The results of this search will be disseminated through academic presentations at conferences and peer-reviewed publications.