Burden of measles in Nigeria: a five-year review of case-based surveillance data 2012-2016

Tuesday, 23rd of April 2019

Burden of measles in Nigeria: a five-year review of case-based surveillance data 2012-2016

 

Cite this: The Pan African Medical Journal. 2019;32 (Supp 1):5. DOI:10.11604/pamj.supp.2019.32.1.13564

Received: 09/08/2017 - Accepted: 04/12/2018 - Published: 22/01/2019

Key words: Disease outbreak measles Nigeria vaccination

© Baffa Sule Ibrahim et al. The Pan African Medical Journal - ISSN 1937-8688. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons

Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original

work is properly cited.

Corresponding author: Baffa Sule Ibrahim Center for International Health Education and Biosecurity University of Maryland Baltimore (CIHEB-UMB) Maryland

(baffasule@gmail.com)

 

Supplement article

Abstract

Introduction: measles is a vaccine preventable highly transmissible viral infection that affects mostly children under five years. We reviewed surveillance data on measles from Nigeria over a five-year period to highlights its burden and make recommendations for improvements.

Methods: we conducted a secondary data analysis of measles specific Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) records of all states in Nigeria over a five-year period.

Results: a total of 131732 cases were recorded between January 2012 and September 2016. Most cases 57892 (43.95%) were recorded in 2013 while the least 11061 (8.4%) were recorded in 2012. A total of 817 deaths were recorded with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.62%. The highest CFR (1.43%) was recorded in 2012 while the least CFR (0.44%) was recorded in 2016. Only 8916 (6.7%) cases were confirmed by laboratory tests. The trend of measles cases followed the same pattern throughout

the years under review with cases peaking at March then gradually reducing to lowest level at June which was maintained throughout the rest of the year. States in northern region of Nigeria recorded the highest attack rate (Yobe: 480.29 cases per 100000 population Sokoto: 284.63 cases per 100000 population and Katsina: 246.07 cases per 100000

 

This article is published as part of the supplement “Sharing experiences from the field: updates from the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and

Laboratory Training Program” sponsored by Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program

Guest editors: Patrick Mboya Nguku African Field Epidemiology Network 50 Haile Selassie Asokoro Abuja Nigeria

Available online at: http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/series/32/1/5/full

population) compared to States in the southern region (Rivers: 11.72 cases per 100000 population and Akwa Ibom: 13.59 cases per 100000 population). Conversely States in the southern region recorded the highest CFR (Ebonyi: 13.43% and Rivers: 3.27%).

Conclusion: measles infection remains a burden especially in the northern region of Nigeria. Although measles fatalities declined over the years laboratory confirmation was sub-optimal. We recommended improvement on routine immunization and strengthening of regional laboratories diagnostic capacities for successful eradication of measles from Nigeria.

Baffa Sule Ibrahim12& Rabi Usman2 Yahaya Mohammed23 Zainab Datti4 Oyeladun Okunromade2 Aisha Ahmed Abubakar5

Patrick Mboya Nguku2

1Center for International Health Education and Biosecurity University of Maryland Baltimore (CIHEB-UMB) Maryland 2Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program Abuja Nigeria 3Department of Medical Microbiology Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Nigeria 4Bayero University Kano Nigeria 5Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria

&Corresponding author:

Baffa Sule Ibrahim Center for International Health Education and Biosecurity University of Maryland Baltimore (CIHEB-UMB) Maryland