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Pediatric Mortality in a Rural Tertiary Care Center in Liberia
Carmelle Tsai1, Camila B Walters2, John Sampson3
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas at Southwestern, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA. carmelle.tsai@gmail.com.
Insights
Pediatric mortality in rural Liberia was primarily due to neonatal sepsis and malaria. These findings highlight key areas for intervention to reduce child deaths in post-war West Africa.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Liberia, a low-income West African nation, has experienced significant challenges including civil war and the Ebola epidemic.
- Limited data exists on current child health trends in rural Liberia, particularly in the post-war and pre-Ebola periods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pediatric mortality trends in a rural tertiary care center in Liberia.
- To identify the primary causes of death among children admitted in 2013, a decade after the civil war.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review was conducted for all pediatric admissions between January and December 2013.
- Data on patient demographics, diagnoses, and outcomes were analyzed to determine mortality rates and causes.
Main Results:
- Fifty pediatric deaths occurred, representing 5.4% of 920 total pediatric admissions.
- The leading cause of neonatal death was sepsis; malaria was the leading cause of death for children under five.
- A significant majority (82.0%) of deaths were in children under five years of age.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric mortality in this rural Liberian setting is comparable to earlier post-war data and lower than immediate post-war figures.
- Neonatal sepsis and malaria are critical contributors to pediatric mortality, necessitating focused public health interventions.
Abstract:
Liberia is a low-income country in West Africa that has faced significant challenges, including a civil war and the recent Ebola epidemic. Little data exists on the more current post-war and pre-Ebola trends of child health in Liberia in the rural setting. This study is a retrospective chart review of pediatric mortality in 2013 at a rural tertiary care center in Liberia, 10 years post-war. From January 2013 to December 2013, there were 50 pediatric deaths, or 5.4% of the 920 total pediatric admissions. The most common cause of neonatal death was sepsis, and the most common cause of death under five years of age was malaria. The majority (82.0%) of the deaths were in children under five. Pediatric mortality at this hospital was similar to other reported mortality six years post-war, and lower than that reported immediately post-war. Neonatal sepsis and malaria are two significant causes of pediatric mortality in this community and, therefore, further efforts to decrease childhood mortality should focus on these causes.
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