Health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management and associated factors in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Vaccines are playing a great role in prevention of many infectious diseases worldwide. Health professionals' knowledge towards vaccine cold chain management is an essential element of maintaining vaccine's potency at shelf and during transportation. Studies on health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management system and associated factors in Ethiopia have inconclusive findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed to produce the overall level of health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management system and to identify its associated factors in Ethiopia. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management in Ethiopia. It is registered under PROSPERO website with registration number CRD42023391627. Literature search was made on international data bases using medical subject heading and key words. Data were extracted using Microsoft excel and imported to STATA version 17 for analysis. Heterogeneity was checked using Cochrane Q test and I2 statistics. Weighted Inverse variance random effect model was used to estimate the pooled level of health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management. Publication bias was checked using funnel plot and using Egger's test. RESULTS: A total of nine studies were included in the review. The pooled health professionals' good knowledge on vaccine cold chain management in Ethiopia is 49.92% with 95% CI (48.06-51.79). Having five years or more experience AOR 2.27 95% CI (1.72-2.99), being nurse AOR 3.03 95% CI (1.47-6.27), received on job training AOR 6.64 95% CI (4.60-9.57), EPI guideline available at facility AOR 2.46 95% CI (1.75.-3.48) are factors positively associated with health professionals' knowledge on vaccine cold chain management in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of good knowledge on vaccine cold chain management among health professionals is much lower than the expected level. There is a need to plan on job trainings for all vaccine handlers and other health professionals supposed to work on vaccination program.