Abstract

The Burden of Gastroenteritis in the Post-Rotavirus Vaccine Era in Ghana: A Hospital Diagnoses-Based Study

Author(s):Adadey Samuel M and Quaye Osbourne

Globally, gastroenteritis is the second cause of post-neonatal morbidity and mortality. Aims: This study evaluates the burden of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in the central part of the Volta Region of Ghana to assess the impact of rotavirus vaccination in the region. Methods: Hospital diagnoses records of in-patients from seven major health centres within and around the city of Ho were collected and analysed. The inclusion criteria considered children who were five years and below, and hospitalized in the selected health centres. The number of AGE cases included in the study was 1908, out of 17,017 hospitalized cases. Results: Children between the ages of 12 and 24 months had the highest incidence of AGE, but the incidence however declined significantly after 24 months of age, which may be due to acquired natural immunity which develops with age. The data revealed that more boys were hospitalized compared to girls, and the months of July and August recorded the most cases. Out of the 1908 hospitalized cases of AGE, 99.2% were treated and discharged and 0.6% deaths were record. Yearly analysis of the diagnoses records over the period under consideration showed that there was no significant difference in the number of AGE cases reported to the hospitals. Conclusion: This study suggests that the problem of diarrhoea mortality in children still exist after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, and therefore the search for a complete solution continues until the last child is saved from diarrhoea death.

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