Africa: The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN.

NIH MeSH · D000349Geographicals

Africa

Definition

The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN.

MeSH classification

  • Z01.058

Need clinical context, treatments, or patient-language explanation?

Ask GoDavaii AI about Africa

Related concepts

Afghanistan

Country located north and west of Pakistan, and east of Iran. The capital is Kabul.

Africa, Central

The geographical area of Africa comprising CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; CHAD; CONGO; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; EQUATORIAL GUI…

Africa, Eastern

The geographical area of Africa comprising BURUNDI, DJIBOUTI, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN, TANZANIA, and UGANDA.

Africa, Northern

The geographical area of Africa comprising ALGERIA; EGYPT; LIBYA; MOROCCO and TUNISIA. It includes also the vast deserts and oases of the Sa…

Africa South of the Sahara

All of Africa except Northern Africa (AFRICA, NORTHERN) including ANGOLA; BENIN; BOTSWANA; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE; CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRIC…

Africa, Southern

The geographical area of Africa comprising ANGOLA; BOTSWANA; LESOTHO; MALAWI; MOZAMBIQUE; NAMIBIA; SOUTH AFRICA; SWAZILAND; ZAMBIA; and ZIMB…

Africa, Western

The geographical area of Africa comprising BENIN; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE, COTE D'IVOIRE (formerly Ivory Coast); GAMBIA; GHANA; GUINEA; GUI…

Alabama

A state in the southeastern region of the United States. The capital is Montgomery.

Common questions about Africa

What does Africa mean in medicine?
The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Africa known by any other names?
Africa is the canonical name in the MeSH vocabulary. There are no commonly used alternate names for this concept in the official NIH database.
Where does Africa sit in the medical classification?
Africa falls under the broader medical category "Geographicals" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: Z01.058). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Africa?
For a plain-language explanation of Africa - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Africa" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D000349) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗