Estimating the catchment population and incidence of severe acute respiratory infections in a district hospital in Boussé, Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: The primary cause of death in Burkina Faso is lower respiratory tract infections, accounting for 1 in 7 deaths. The Ministry of Health is building surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in four districts. This study sought to determine the catchment area of the Boussé district hospital and to describe disease burden of individuals hospitalized for SARI. METHODS: Data were collected from hospital log books to identify individuals with a SARI diagnosis during 2015 and 2016. Residence of SARI patients was recorded to determine the catchment area of the hospital. Population data were used to estimate SARI incidence rates. RESULTS: Investigators reviewed logs for 3034 hospital admissions; 885 SARI cases were identified. Five communes were identified as the hospital catchment area, with 770 SARI patients residing in these communes. The SARI incidence rate (IR) for all ages was 136 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 115, 161) and 266 (95% CI = 236, 300) cases per 100 000 population for 2015 and 2016, respectively. Children <1 (RI = 1111 cases per 100 000, 95% CI = 1047, 1178, and RI = 2425 cases per 100 000, 95% CI = 2330, 2524) and adults ≥65 years old (RI = 377 cases per 100 000, 95% CI = 341, 417, and RI = 816 cases per 100 000, 95% CI = 762, 874) had the highest burden of disease for 2015 and 2016, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our analysis found high rates of SARI, especially among children <1 year of age, and marked variation in incidence between the years studied. These baseline data and the method developed will be useful for the new SARI surveillance system.

Factors associated with cholera in Kenya, 2008-2013.

INTRODUCTION: Kenya experienced widespread cholera outbreaks in 1997-1999 and 2007-2010. The re-emergence of cholera in Kenya in 2015 indicates that cholera remains a public health threat. Understanding past outbreaks is important for preventing future outbreaks. This study investigated the relationship between cholera occurrence in Kenya and various environmental and demographic factors related to water, sanitation, socio-economic status, education, urbanization and availability of health facilities during the time period 2008-2013. METHODS: The primary outcome analyzed was the number of cholera cases at the district level, obtained from the Kenya Ministry of Health's national cholera surveillance records. Values of independent variables were obtained from the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census and other national surveys. The data were analyzed using a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis indicated that the risk of cholera was associated with open defecation, use of unimproved water sources, poverty headcount ratio and the number of health facilities per 100,000 population (p < 0.05). No statistically significant association was found between cholera occurrence and education, percentage of population living in urban areas or population density. CONCLUSION: The Sustainable Development Goals and Kenya's blueprint for development, Kenya Vision 2030, call for access to sanitation facilities and clean water for all by 2030. Kenya has made important economic strides in recent years but continues to be affected by diseases like cholera that are associated with low socio-economic status. Further expansion of access to sanitation facilities and clean water is necessary for preventing cholera in Kenya.