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Granerod J, Huang Y, Davies NWS, Sequeira PC, Mwapasa V, Rupali P, Michael BD, Solomon T, Easton A. Global Landscape of Encephalitis: Key Priorities to Reduce Future Disease Burden. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:1552-1560. [PMID: 37436770 PMCID: PMC10686956 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Encephalitis affects people across the lifespan, has high rates of mortality and morbidity, and results in significant neurological sequelae with long-term consequences to quality of life and wider society. The true incidence is currently unknown due to inaccurate reporting systems. The disease burden of encephalitis is unequally distributed across the globe being highest in low- and middle-income countries where resources are limited. Here countries often lack diagnostic testing, with poor access to essential treatments and neurological services, and limited surveillance and vaccination programs. Many types of encephalitis are vaccine preventable, whereas others are treatable with early diagnosis and appropriate management. In this viewpoint, we provide a narrative review of key aspects of diagnosis, surveillance, treatment, and prevention of encephalitis and highlight priorities for public health, clinical management, and research, to reduce the disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Granerod
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Dr JGW Consulting Ltd., London, United Kingdom
| | - Yun Huang
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Victor Mwapasa
- University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Priscilla Rupali
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Benedict D Michael
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Solomon
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- The Pandemic Institute, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ava Easton
- Department of Clinical Infection Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- The Encephalitis Society, Malton, United Kingdom
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Shen H, Zhao H, Jiang Y. Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Stunting among Under-Five Children in Papua New Guinea. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1638. [PMID: 37892302 PMCID: PMC10605317 DOI: 10.3390/children10101638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Preventing stunting is particularly important for healthy development across the life course. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the prevalence of stunting in children under five years old has consistently not improved. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to employ multiple machine learning algorithms to identify the most effective model and key predictors for stunting prediction in children in PNG. The study used data from the 2016-2018 Papua New Guinea Demographic Health Survey, including from 3380 children with complete height-for-age data. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and random-forest-recursive feature elimination were used for feature selection. Logistic regression, a conditional decision tree, a support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel, and an extreme gradient boosting machine (XGBoost) were employed to construct the prediction model. The performance of the final model was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and area under the curve (AUC). The results of the study showed that LASSO-XGBoost has the best performance for predicting stunting in PNG (AUC: 0.765; 95% CI: 0.714-0.819) with accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores of 0.728, 0.715, 0.628, and 0.669, respectively. Combined with the SHAP value method, the optimal prediction model identified living in the Highlands Region, the age of the child, being in the richest family, and having a larger or smaller birth size as the top five important characteristics for predicting stunting. Based on the model, the findings support the necessity of preventing stunting early in life. Emphasizing the nutritional status of vulnerable maternal and child populations in PNG is recommended to promote maternal and child health and overall well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yi Jiang
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (H.S.); (H.Z.)
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Sahiledengle B, Agho KE, Petrucka P, Kumie A, Beressa G, Atlaw D, Tekalegn Y, Zenbaba D, Desta F, Mwanri L. Concurrent wasting and stunting among under-five children in the context of Ethiopia: A generalised mixed-effects modelling. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2023; 19:e13483. [PMID: 36757269 PMCID: PMC10019057 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Concurrent wasting and stunting (WaSt) is a condition where both wasting and stunting exist in a child at the same time. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of WaSt and to identify potential associated factors in Ethiopia. A total of 33,650 children aged between 0 and 59 months were included in the analysis from the four waves of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of WaSt. The prevalence of WaSt was found to be 4.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: (4.5-4.9)), with respectively 2.5% (95% CI: 2.1-3.1) and 4.9% (95% CI: 4.7-5.2) among children in urban and rural settings. Children: (i) in the age group 12-23 months (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.16, 95% CI: (3.20-5.42)) and 24-59 months (AOR: 3.08, 95% CI: (2.28-4.17)); (ii) who were perceived by their mothers to be smaller than normal at birth (AOR: 1.98, 95% CI: (1.57-2.50)); (iii) had diarrhoea (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: (1.11-1.71)); and (iv) fever in the past 2 weeks (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: (1.10-1.71)) reported higher odds of WaSt. Being a female child (AOR: 0.57, 95% CI: (0.48-0.69)), having received measles vaccination (AOR: 0.71, 95% CI: (0.55-0.89)), having a mother with a normal body mass index (18.5-24.9 kg/m2 ) (AOR: 0.57, 95% CI: (0.48-0.68)), having a wealthier household (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: (0.50-0.90)), and living in rural setting (AOR: 0.49, 95% CI: (0.32-0.74)) were associated with reduced odds of WaSt. The prevalence of WaSt was high, with approximately 1 in 20 Ethiopian children suffering from the condition and needing a prompt response to minimize the poor health and developmental outcomes. Children perceived by their mother to be smaller than normal at birth, older children, and babies with diarrhoea and fever had higher odds of WaSt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biniyam Sahiledengle
- Department of Public HealthMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Kingsley E. Agho
- School of Health SciencesWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- Translational Health Research Institute, School of MedicineWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- African Vision Research InstituteUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | | | - Abera Kumie
- School of Public HealthAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Girma Beressa
- Department of Public HealthMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Daniel Atlaw
- Department of Human AnatomyMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Yohannes Tekalegn
- Department of Public HealthMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Demisu Zenbaba
- Department of Public HealthMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Fikreab Desta
- Department of Public HealthMadda Walabu University Goba Referral HospitalBale‐GobaEthiopia
| | - Lillian Mwanri
- Torrens University AustraliaAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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Ichimura Y, Yamauchi M, Yoshida N, Miyano S, Komada K, Thandar MM, Tiwara S, Mita T, Hombhanje FW, Mori Y, Takeda M, Hachiya M. Effectiveness of immunization activities on measles and rubella immunity among individuals in East Sepik, Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study. IJID REGIONS 2022; 3:84-88. [PMID: 35755474 PMCID: PMC9216679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to assess measles and rubella immunity by measuring virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) prevalence among individuals and evaluate the effectiveness of recent supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) by comparing the antibody positivity rates of the SIA target age groups in 2015 with those in 2019 as measles and rubella are endemic in Papua New Guinea. Methods A cross-sectional study. The measles- and rubella-specific IgG levels of patients aged ≥1 year at two clinics in East Sepik province, Papua New Guinea were assessed with commercially available virus-specific IgG EIA kits. Results In total, 297 people participated in the study and 278 samples with sufficient volume, relevant information, and age inclusion criteria were analyzed. The overall IgG prevalence rates were 62.6% for measles and 82.0% for rubella. The age groups targeted in the 2019 SIAs had a higher IgG prevalence than those targeted in the 2015 SIAs for both the infectious diseases. Moreover, the IgG prevalence for rubella was higher than measles in these groups. Conclusions The anti-measles and anti-rubella IgG prevalence in the target groups were lower than those required for herd immunity. The immunization program should be emphasized to eliminate measles and rubella. Further population-based studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasunori Ichimura
- Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Yamauchi
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoko Yoshida
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Miyano
- Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Komada
- Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moe Moe Thandar
- Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Steven Tiwara
- Wewak General Hospital, Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea
| | - Toshihiro Mita
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Francis W Hombhanje
- Center for Health Research and Diagnostics, Divine Word University, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Yoshio Mori
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Takeda
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Hachiya
- Bureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Media Exposure, Behavioural Risk Factors and HIV Testing among Women of Reproductive Age in Papua New Guinea: A Cross-Sectional Study. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7020030. [PMID: 35202225 PMCID: PMC8875656 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7020030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Reproductive health remains a major health concern in developing countries such as Papua New Guinea (PNG). The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in PNG is the highest in the Southern Pacific region, with women having a higher risk of contracting the infection. Hence, there have been several policies aimed at mitigating the spread of the disease. One of these policies include the use of mass media as a health promotion tool to educate the population on the risk of the disease. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the association of mass media to HIV testing among women. Methods: Data were obtained from the PNG Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of 2019. A total of 15,005 reproductive-age women was included in this analysis. Results: The results showed that women with low (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.90) and high (aOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.72) media exposure were more likely to undertake HIV testing compared to those with no media exposure. Compared to no education, women with incomplete primary (aOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.40), complete primary (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.87), incomplete secondary (aOR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.85, 2.58), complete secondary (aOR= 2.33, 95% CI: 1.77, 3.09) and higher (aOR = 3.38, 95% CI: 2.57, 4.46) education were more likely to undertake HIV testing. Compared to women with the poorest wealth index, women with richer indexes were more likely to undertake HIV testing. Women living in rural areas were less likely to undertake HIV testing (aOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.82). However, marital status, knowledge of transmission and religion were not associated with HIV testing. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides strong evidence that mass media exposure increases the likelihood of HIV testing in women of reproductive age in PNG. Mass media campaigns would serve as a cost-effective health promotion tool against the spread of disease.
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Ignis IO, Tomini S. Vaccination Coverage: Vaccine-Related Determinants & Anthropometric Measures in Children Resident in a Rural Community in Nigeria. Curr Drug Saf 2021; 17:199-210. [PMID: 34719376 DOI: 10.2174/1574886316666211029153212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccination of children has played a significant role in reducing early childhood morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases; however, some factors act as deterrents in achieving adequate coverage in this susceptible population. AIMS & OBJECTIVES The study, therefore, aimed to identify vaccine-related determinants of childhood vaccination as well as determine the relationship between childhood vaccination status and body weight, height, and a child's body mass index (BMI). METHODS The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design in which 608 caregiver-child pair was recruited sequentially by using a two-stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaires based on the SAGE vaccine hesitancy model were used to interview the participants. Elicited data was analyzed and categorical variables were presented in tables and charts as frequencies, while a chi-square test was used to test the association between the independent and dependent variables. Pearson's correlation analysis was also done to determine the correlation between vaccination status and weight, height, and BMI of children. RESULT The study showed that vaccination coverage was suboptimal (70.56%) in children and was below the expected target of 80%. Although a few (183, 30.10%) of the respondents claimed they would prevent the vaccination of their children due to the fear of needles, the majority (87.50%) will be willing to accept more vaccine doses for their children if there were no pain. While factors such as the experience of adverse reaction (X2 = 13.22, df = 2, p<0.001), crying from pain (X2 = 11.33, df = 2, p<0.001) and the scientific evidence of safety (X2 = 34.63, df = 2, p<0.001) were significantly associated with a complete vaccination status, vaccination status was positively correlated with the weight (r=0.160, p<0.001), height (r=0.081, p=0.023) and BMI (r=0.214, p<0.001) of children in the rural community. CONCLUSION Vaccination uptake and coverage can be significantly improved in children by designing and implementing interventional programs that target pharmaceutical and vaccine-specific factors acting as barriers in these rural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iribhogbe Osede Ignis
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State. Nigeria
| | - Sonila Tomini
- Public Health, University of Roehampton, London. United Kingdom
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Sartika AN, Khoirunnisa M, Meiyetriani E, Ermayani E, Pramesthi IL, Nur Ananda AJ. Prenatal and postnatal determinants of stunting at age 0-11 months: A cross-sectional study in Indonesia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254662. [PMID: 34260622 PMCID: PMC8279365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood stunting remains the most challenging consequence of undernutrition because it is associated with suboptimal brain development and the subsequent increased risk of metabolic diseases and decreased earnings in adult life. The Sambas District in Indonesia has a high prevalence of stunting (28.4%), followed by underweight (25.5.%) and wasting (14.4%) among children, as well chronic energy deficiency (27%) and anemia (62%) among pregnant women. The present study sought to determine significant factors in childhood stunting with a focus on maternal and child nutrition and prenatal and postnatal determinants. Methods This prospective, repeat, cross-sectional study investigated factors associated with stunting among 559 infants age 0–11 months in Sambas District, Indonesia. Anthropometric measurements were performed by trained enumerators. Data from a 2016 survey of pregnant women and a 2017 survey on mothers and their children were used for postnatal data collection to quantify the prevalence of stunting at age 0–11 months. Using 20 potential predictors of stunting categorized by household characteristics, maternal characteristics, antenatal care services, and child characteristics, logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the adjusted association between stunting and these factors. Results Of 559 children analyzed, 20.8% were stunted. In the model with low birth weight (LBW) as predictor for stunting, the odds of stunting increased significantly among children who weighed <2.500 g at birth; children who had diarrhea in the past 2 weeks and children who had incomplete basic immunization coverage as infants age 9–11 months. In model without LBW, the odds of stunting increased significantly among children who had preterm at birth, short maternal stature and children who had incomplete basic immunization coverage for 9–11 months infants. Conclusions Postnatal factors—preterm birth, low birth weight, diarrhea and complete basic immunization coverage—were associated with infant stunting in Sambas District, Indonesia. The prenatal factors such as short maternal stature were significant in the multivariate model. Policy makers, especially in the government, should recommend measures focused on those prenatal and postnatal factors to prevent stunting in children and to avoid the sequelae of childhood stunting in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindah Nur Sartika
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Meirina Khoirunnisa
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Eflita Meiyetriani
- SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition, Pusat Kajian Gizi Regional Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- * E-mail:
| | - Evi Ermayani
- SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition, Pusat Kajian Gizi Regional Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Indriya Laras Pramesthi
- SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition, Pusat Kajian Gizi Regional Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Aziz Jati Nur Ananda
- SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition, Pusat Kajian Gizi Regional Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Gowin E, Kuzma J, Januszkiewicz-Lewandowska D. Knowledge among the rural parents about the vaccinations and vaccination coverage of children in the first year of life in Papua New Guinea - analysis of data provided by Christian health services. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:130. [PMID: 33516196 PMCID: PMC7847142 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-05824-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge among the rural parents about the vaccinations and vaccination coverage of children in the first year of life in Papua New Guinea - analysis of data provided by Christian Health Services. BACKGROUND This analysis aimed to assess rural parents' knowledge about the diseases prevented by vaccinations and establish vaccination coverage in PNG. METHODS Knowledge of vaccinations was checked through a standard questionnaire (five closed questions). We analyzed data on vaccination coverage from 2016 to 2018 from all Catholic health facilities. Analyzed vaccinations were the pentavalent vaccine (DTaP-HiB-HepB) and measles vaccine given in the first year of life. Coverage was calculated based on the number of vaccines used compared to the number of eligible children. Analyzed vaccinations were the pentavalent vaccine (DTaP-HiB-HepB) and measles vaccine given in the first year of life. RESULTS Fifty-six parents, including 52 mothers and four fathers, participated in the interview. Many parents (46%) understood that the vaccine prevents diseases. During the analyzed period, 25,502 doses of measles vaccine were given, 31,428 children were vaccinated with the pentavalent vaccine. In 2016, the measles vaccine coverage rate was 26.6 and 33.4% for the pentavalent vaccine. In 2017, measles and pentavalent vaccines' coverage rate was 12.5 and 16.6%, respectively. There were significant differences in immunization coverage between provinces. A decreasing trend in the number of administered vaccinations was observed. CONCLUSION The results of this analysis demonstrate that in PNG, the majority of children are not fully immunized. There are significant differences in the vaccination coverage between provinces. As protection from diseases is low, there is a very high risk of an outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in the community. Delivery of vaccinations in PNG encounters many barriers, from access to healthcare services to natural disasters and inter-tribial conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Gowin
- Health Promotion Department, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Fredry 10, 61-701, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Jerzy Kuzma
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Divine Word University, Madang, Papua New Guinea
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Buonsenso D, Cinicola B, Kallon MN, Iodice F. Child Healthcare and Immunizations in Sub-Saharan Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:517. [PMID: 32850565 PMCID: PMC7424001 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Since COVID-19 in the pediatric population is infrequently severe, the indirect costs of the pandemic, related to the measures implemented to deal with the spread of the virus, can be worse than the infection itself. To assess this issue, we evaluated the number of children vaccinated or evaluated for the most common diseases in a poor village in Sierra Leone, showing a worrisome drop in vaccinations performed and children evaluated for acute diseases. Our preliminary findings highlight that support is needed to guarantee basic services to children during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in poor settings where preventive measures can be lifesaving in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Buonsenso
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Bianca Cinicola
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Iodice
- Institute of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, San Raffaele Pisana IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Correction: Vaccination and nutritional status of children in Karawari, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193631. [PMID: 29474485 PMCID: PMC5825154 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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