Africa South of the Sahara (also known as Africa, Sub-Saharan, Sub-Saharan Africa): All of Africa except Northern Africa (AFRICA, NORTHERN) including ANGOLA; BENIN; BOTSWANA; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE; CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; CHAD; CONGO; COTE D'IVOIRE; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; DJIBOUTI; EQUATORIAL

NIH MeSH · D017954Geographicals

Africa South of the Sahara

Also known asAfrica, Sub-Saharan · Sub-Saharan Africa · Subsaharan Africa

Definition

All of Africa except Northern Africa (AFRICA, NORTHERN) including ANGOLA; BENIN; BOTSWANA; BURKINA FASO; CABO VERDE; CAMEROON; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; CHAD; CONGO; COTE D'IVOIRE; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; DJIBOUTI; EQUATORIAL GUINEA; ERITREA; ESWATINI; ETHIOPIA; GABON; GAMBIA; GHANA; GUINEA; GUINEA-BISSAU; KENYA; LESOTHO; LIBERIA; MALAWI; MALI; MAURITANIA; MOZAMBIQUE; NAMIBIA; NIGER; NIGERIA; RWANDA; SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE; SENEGAL; SIERRA LEONE; SOMALIA; SOUTH AFRICA; SOUTH SUDAN; SUDAN; TANZANIA; TOGO; UGANDA; ZAMBIA; and ZIMBABWE.

MeSH classification

Z01.058.290

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Related concepts

Africa

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

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, 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…

Algeria

A country in northern Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between MOROCCO and TUNISIA. Its capital is Algiers.

Angola

A republic in southern Africa, southwest of DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO and west of ZAMBIA. Its capital is Luanda.

Common questions about Africa South of the Sahara

What does Africa South of the Sahara mean in medicine?

Is Africa South of the Sahara known by any other names?

Yes. Africa South of the Sahara is also referred to as Africa, Sub-Saharan, Sub-Saharan Africa, Subsaharan Africa in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.

Where does Africa South of the Sahara sit in the medical classification?

Africa South of the Sahara falls under the broader medical category "Geographicals" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: Z01.058.290). 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 South of the Sahara?

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Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D017954) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗