Mortality of children aged 5-15 years in a tertiary care center in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Mortality
• Public Health in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Sub-Saharan Africa has a disproportionately high mortality rate (55%) in children and adolescents (5-15 years) despite representing only 21% of the global population in this age group.
• While infectious diseases are implicated, this study investigates the role of chronic underlying conditions in increasing mortality within this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the leading causes of mortality among children and adolescents aged 5-15 years in a tertiary care center in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
• To determine the prevalence of chronic underlying conditions contributing to deaths in this age group.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study was conducted analyzing medical files of deceased children and adolescents between January 2013 and December 2017.
• Data collected included in-hospital mortality rates, primary causes of death, and identified chronic illnesses.

Main Results:

• The in-hospital mortality rate was 10.3 per 1000. Leading causes of death included coma/convulsions (70.6%), severe anemia (64.7%), and respiratory distress (56.8%).
• A chronic illness was identified in 62.2% of cases, with HIV infection (39.2%) and sickle cell disease (24.5%) being the most prevalent.
• Major diagnoses were severe malaria (25%), severe sepsis (16.4%), and meningitis (10.3%).

Conclusions:

• HIV infection and sickle cell disease are significantly associated with mortality in children and adolescents in this region.
• Recommendations include intensified use of insecticide-treated bed nets and improved management of HIV and sickle cell disease for this age group.