Protocol for a qualitative systematic review of the experience of burnout in sub-Saharan African healthcare workers. v1

This protocol outlines a qualitative systematic review examining burnout and job satisfaction among healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa. The review will systematically search five databases (MEDLINE, Global Health Database, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL), apply predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and use Thomas and Harden’s thematic synthesis approach alongside GRADE-CERQual to assess confidence in findings. The review is expected to generate in-depth, contextually grounded insights into how burnout is experienced, understood, and shaped by health system conditions across diverse settings. Findings will likely identify recurring structural and organizational drivers, as well as their implications for workforce retention and quality of care, offering evidence to inform more context-sensitive health system interventions.