Haemophilus influenzae type b infection in children in Pacific countries

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Vaccinology
• Public health surveillance

Background:

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) causes severe invasive diseases like meningitis and pneumonia in young children.
• Pacific island countries (PICs) face a substantial burden of Hib disease, impacting child mortality and morbidity.
• Estimating the true burden of Hib disease is crucial for effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the disease burden of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) among children under five years in four Pacific island countries (PICs).
• To assess the incidence of Hib meningitis and pneumonia, including associated deaths.
• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing the Hib vaccine in PICs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized culture-confirmed isolates to calculate Hib meningitis incidence.
• Employed the World Health Organization (WHO) Hib Rapid Assessment Tool (RAT) to estimate true Hib meningitis incidence.
• Estimated the number of Hib meningitis and pneumonia cases and deaths.

Main Results:

• The annual incidence of Hib meningitis in three PICs ranged from 70 to 84 per 100,000 children under five.
• The study highlighted a significant disease burden attributable to Hib in the studied populations.
• Hib vaccination was found to be a cost-effective intervention, with costs ranging from US$1,000-10,000 per death prevented.

Conclusions:

• The high burden of Hib disease and the cost-effectiveness of the Hib vaccine support its introduction in Pacific island countries.
• Vaccination represents a valuable investment for PICs to reduce child mortality and morbidity from Hib.
• Further surveillance and intervention strategies are warranted to combat Hib disease in vulnerable populations.