Childhood very severe pneumonia and meningitis related hospitalization and death in Yemen, before and after introduction of H. influenzae type b [Hib] vaccine

Haemophilus influenzae type b [Hib] vaccine was included in the Yemen immunization programme in 2005. This study compared the rates of very severe pneumonia and all-cause meningitis hospitalization and death, before and after introduction of conjugate Hib vaccine, and reports the results of the 2010 bacterial meningitis surveillance. A retrospective analysis was made of data collected for 2000–2010 for all children aged 2–60 months in the main children's hospital in Sana'a. Compared with the pre-Hib vaccination period, the post-Hib period showed significant and impressive reductions in the rates of hospitalization and death for all-cause meningitis. However, hospitalization and death for very severe pneumonia improved only modestly, and there was evidence of a decreasing but non-significant trend indicting that very severe pneumonia was a non-specific endpoint with multi-etiologies [both viral and bacterial]. Very severe pneumonia remains the leading cause of severe morbidity and death for young children, particularly those aged < 12 months.

Burden of perinatal conditions in Yemen: a 12- year hospital-based study

We conducted a 12-year retrospective analysis of perinatal characteristics at Al-Sabeen Hospital, Sana'a. There were 62 168 births, 2936 stillbirths and 5434 perinatal deaths. There were 14 576 [24.6%] preterm low- birth-weight [LBW] babies. Early neonatal death [ENND] rate was 42.2/1000 live births. Of the 10546 neonates admitted to the special baby care unit [SBCU], 40.1% were preterm LBW and 2147 [20.4%] died [80.6% were preterm LBW]. The last 4 years showed a 17.2% increase in stillbirths and a 40.5% reduction in ENND compared with the first 4 years. In the SBCU, reduction in ENND was > 70%. Respiratory distress accounted for 63.8% of deaths in the SBCU and birth asphyxia 15.0%. Our results reflect the poor antenatal and delivery care services in Yemen

Burden of perinatal conditions in Yemen: a 12-year hospital-based study

We conducted a 12-year retrospective analysis of perinatal characteristics at Al-Sabeen Hospital, Sana'a. There were 62168 births, 2936 stillbirths and 5434 perinatal deaths. There were 14 576 [24.6%] preterm low-birth-weight [LBW] babies. Early neonatal death [ENND] rate was 42.2/1000 live births. Of the 10 546 neonates admitted to the special baby care unit [SBCU], 40.1% were preterm LBW and 2147 [20.4%] died [80.6% were preterm LBW]. The last 4 years showed a 17.2% increase in stillbirths and a 40.5% reduction in ENND compared with the first 4 years. In the SBCU, reduction in ENND was > 70%. Respiratory distress accounted for 63.8% of deaths in the SBCU and birth asphyxia 15.0%. Our results reflect the poor antenatal and delivery care services in Yemen