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Seasonal pattern of pneumonia mortality among under-five children in Nairobi's informal settlements

Yazoume Ye1, Eliya Zulu, Maurice Mutisya

  • 1African Population and Health Research CenterAPHRC, Nairobi, Kenya. yyazoume@aphrc.org

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|October 29, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children under five in Nairobi

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Pneumonia poses a significant threat to children under five globally.
  • Understanding seasonal variations in pneumonia mortality is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Nairobi's urban slums present unique demographic and environmental factors influencing child mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the seasonal patterns of pneumonia mortality in under-five children residing in Nairobi's slums.
  • To identify specific periods of increased pneumonia risk to inform public health strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized longitudinal data from the Nairobi Urban and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS) (2003-2005).
  • Included 17,787 children under five, analyzing 436 deaths, with verbal autopsy for 377.
  • Employed Poisson regression to model quarterly pneumonia mortality risk.

Main Results:

  • Pneumonia accounted for 25.7% of all under-five deaths.
  • Pneumonia mortality risk was significantly higher in the second quarter (April-June) (RR=2.3, CI: 1.2-4.2) compared to the fourth quarter.
  • The highest risk period coincided with the rainy and early cold seasons.

Conclusions:

  • Pneumonia-related mortality among under-five children in Nairobi's slums exhibits a distinct seasonal pattern.
  • Increased pneumonia mortality risk is associated with the rainy and early cold seasons (April-June).
  • Findings support the need for seasonal public health interventions targeting pneumonia in this vulnerable population.

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