BACKSLIDING ON CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN BANADIR REGION, SOMALIA

Authors

  • Fartun Abdullahi H. Orey Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Kadra Hassan Sheik Mohamud Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Iftin Abdi Nor Abdulle Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Jamal Hassan Mohamoud Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Bashiru Garba Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto
  • Mohamed Hussein Adam Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Hassan Abdullahi Dahie Nursing and Midwifery Departments, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu 2526, Somalia
  • Maryan Abdullahi Sh. Nur Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Najib Isse Dirie Department of Urology, Dr. Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21010/Ajidv17i2S.2

Keywords:

SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, COVID-19 pandemic, routine childhood immunization, Polio virus, vaccination coverage, Pentavalent vaccine

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a global public health crisis. During the pandemic, considerable delay was observed making it impossible for some children to receive their due vaccines on time. Like most resource-poor countries, COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have a negative impact on Somalia’s immunization coverage.

Materials and methods: This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunization coverage in Somalia. A retrospective comparative cross-sectional approach was employed to investigate the number of under-5-year children who got their immunization from the two major mother and child hospital, (Banadir and SOS in Mogadishu, Somalia from October 2019 to December 2020. To do this, a total of 112, 060 data relating to the routine childhood immunization (measles, polio, whooping cough, hepatitis B, pneumonia, and tuberculosis) were collected from the monthly immunization report-data from the two hospitals.

Results: The results showed that all the vaccines except birth vaccines have remarkably dropped with Penta-3 (27%), Penta-2 (11%), measles (10%) and Penta-1 (8%) respectively. However, the birth vaccines (BCG and Polio 0) were not affected as observed in this study. The reduction in children immunization rate in Somalia may be a combination of many other factors, we however recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed significantly to this outcome.

Conclusion: The government needed to take proactive measures to encourage parents to present their children for immunizations, including increasing community concerning the importance of these routine childhood immunizations despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemics.

Author Biographies

Fartun Abdullahi H. Orey, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

 

Kadra Hassan Sheik Mohamud, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

   

Iftin Abdi Nor Abdulle, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

   

Jamal Hassan Mohamoud, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

 

Mohamed Hussein Adam, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

 

Hassan Abdullahi Dahie, Nursing and Midwifery Departments, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu 2526, Somalia

 

 

Maryan Abdullahi Sh. Nur, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia

 

 

Najib Isse Dirie, Department of Urology, Dr. Sumait Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia.

 

 

References

Abbas, K., Procter, S. R., van Zandvoort, K., Clark, A., Funk, S., Mengistu, T., Hogan, D., Dansereau, E., Jit, M., Flasche, S., Houben, R. M. G. J., Edmunds, W. J., Villabona-Arenas, C. J., Atkins, K. E., Knight, G. M., Sun, F. Y., Auzenbergs, M., Rosello, A., Klepac, P., Medley, G. (2020). Routine childhood immunisation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: a benefit–risk analysis of health benefits versus excess risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Lancet Global Health, 8(10), e1264–e1272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30308-9

Abdullahi, F., Orey, H., Sodal, A. M., Mohamoud, J. H., Garba, B., Mohamed, H., Adam, M. H., Dahie, H. A., Abdullahi, M., Nur, S. and Dirie, N. I. (2022). Investigation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies among the paediatric population in Mogadishu, Somalia. Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. https://doi.org/10.1093/TRSTMH/TRAC088.

Adam, M. H., Mohamoud, J. H., Mohamood, A. S., Mohamed, A. A., Garba, B. and Dirie, N. I. (2022). Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Banadir Region, Somalia. Vaccines; 10(2): 220 – 231. https://doi.org/10.3390/VACCINES10020220.

Aden, M. A. and Bashiru, G. (2022). How misuse of antimicrobial agents is exacerbating the challenges facing Somalia’s public health. African Journal of Infectious Diseases; 16(2 Suppl): 26 – 32. https://doi.org/10.21010/AJID.V16I2S.4

Ahmed, M. A. M., Fodjo, J. N. S., Gele, A. A., Farah, A. A., Osman, S., Guled, I. A., Ali, A. M. and Colebunders, R. (2020). COVID-19 in Somalia: Adherence to Preventive Measures and Evolution of the Disease Burden. Pathogens; 9(9): 735. https://doi.org/10.3390/PATHOGENS9090735.

Causeyid, K. and Mosserid, J. F. (2022). Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen routine immunization systems. PLOS Medicine; 19(2): p. e1003934. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PMED.1003934.

Children missing out on routine vaccinations in Somalia amid COVID-19 fears - Somalia | ReliefWeb. (n.d.).

Coker, M., Folayan, M. O., Michelow, I. C., Oladokun, R. E., Torbunde, N. and Sam-Agudu, N. A. (2021). Things must not fall apart: the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in sub-Saharan Africa. Pediatric Research; 89(5): 1078–1086. https://doi.org/10.1038/S41390-020-01174-Y

Dahie, H. A., Mohamoud, J. H., Adam, M. H., Garba, B., Dirie, N. I., Sh. Nur, M. A. and Mohamed, F. Y. (2022). COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage and Potential Drivers of Vaccine Uptake among Healthcare Workers in SOMALIA: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines; 10(7): 1116 – 1130. https://doi.org/10.3390/VACCINES10071116

Garba, B., Zakaria, Z., Salihu, M. D., Bande, F., Saidu, B. and Bala, J. A. (2020). Breaking the cycle of the COVID-19 transmission: A challenge for Nigeria. Journal of Global Health; 10(2): 1-4. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.020309

Hayir, T. M. M., Magan, M. A., Mohamed, L. M., Mohamud, M. A., & Muse, A. A. (2020). Barriers for full immunization coverage among under 5 years children in Mogadishu, Somalia. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care; 9(6): 2664-2669. https://doi.org/10.4103/JFMPC.JFMPC_119_20

Jain, R., Chopra, A., Falézan, C., Patel, M. and Dupas, P. (2021). COVID-19 related immunization disruptions in Rajasthan, India: A retrospective observational study. Vaccines; 39(31): 4343 – 4350. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.VACCINE.2021.06.022.

Khatiwada, A. P., Maskey, S., Shrestha, N., Shrestha, S., Khanal, S., Kc, B. and Paudyal, V. (2021). Impact of the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic on childhood routine immunisation services in Nepal: a qualitative study on the perspectives of service providers and users. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice; 14(1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-021-00366-z

Lassi, Z. S., Naseem, R., Salam, R. A., Siddiqui, F. and Das, J. K. (2021). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Immunization Campaigns and Programs: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; 18(3): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH18030988

Mansour, Z., Arab, J., Said, R., Rady, A., Hamadeh, R., Gerbaka, B. and Bizri, A. R. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of routine immunization services in Lebanon. PLOS ONE; 16(2): e0246951. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0246951

Moussa, A. A., Abdi, A. A., Awale, M. A. and Garba, B. (2021). Occurrence and phenotypic characterization of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens isolated from patients in a public hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. Infection and Drug Resistance; 14: 825–832. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S275090

Naus. Monika (2021). Impact of COVID-19 response on childhood immunization: What can we do to catch up? | British Columbia Medical Journal; 63(10): 432–435.

Nur, M. A. Sh., Dahie, H. A., Hassan, N. A., Garba, B., Adam, M. H. A., Mohamoud, J. H. and Dirie, N. I. (2022). Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus antibodies and sociodemographic features of pregnant women in Mogadishu, Somalia: a cross-sectional survey study. British Medical Journal (Open); 12(6): e059617. https://doi.org/10.1136/BMJOPEN-2021-059617

Oyo-Ita, A., Wiysonge, C. S., Oringanje, C., Nwachukwu, C. E., Oduwole, O. and Meremikwu, M. M. (2016). Interventions for improving coverage of childhood immunisation in low- and middle-income countries. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; 2016(7): 1-93. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008145.PUB3.

Shet, A., Carr, K., Danovaro-Holliday, M. C., Sodha, S. V., Prosperi, C., Wunderlich, J., Wonodi, C., Reynolds, H. W., Mirza, I., Gacic-Dobo, M., O’Brien, K. L. and Lindstrand, A. (2022). Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on routine immunisation services: evidence of disruption and recovery from 170 countries and territories. The Lancet Global Health; 10(2): e186–e194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00512-X.

UNICEF. (2022). COVID-19 pandemic leads to major backsliding on childhood vaccinations, new WHO, UNICEF data shows. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2021-covid-19-pandemic-leads-to-major-backsliding-on-childhood-vaccinations-new-who-unicef-data-shows. Accessed 05/04/2023

UNICEF. (2021). Immunization. UNICEF Somalia/2021/Naftalin. https://www.unicef.org /somalia/health/ immuni zation. Accessed 05/04/2023.

UNICEF (2013). Children in Somalia to receive new vaccination against deadly diseases. Press Release. New York (April 24, 2013). https://www.unicefusa.org/press/children-somalia-receive-new-vaccination-against-deadly-diseases. Accessed 05/04/2023.

WHO EMRO (2020). Children missing out on routine vaccinations in Somalia amid COVID-19 fears | News | Somalia site.. https://www.emro.who.int/somalia/news/children-missing-out-on-routine-vaccinations-in-somalia-amid-covid-19-fears.html. Accessed 05/04/2023

Downloads

Published

2023-08-01

How to Cite

Orey, F. A. H., Mohamud, K. H. S. ., Abdulle, I. A. N. ., Mohamoud, J. H., Garba, B., Adam, M. H., Dahie, H. A., Nur, M. A. S., & Dirie, N. I. (2023). BACKSLIDING ON CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATIONS DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN BANADIR REGION, SOMALIA. African Journal of Infectious Diseases (AJID), 17(2 S), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.21010/Ajidv17i2S.2

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 S (2023): SUPPLEMENTARY

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 African Journal of Infectious Diseases (AJID)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials. View License Deed | View Legal Code Authors can also self-archive their manuscripts immediately and enable public access from their institution's repository. This is the version that has been accepted for publication and which typically includes author-incorporated changes suggested during submission, peer review and in editor-author communications.