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Published on: September 30, 2014
Evaluation of surveillance system for pneumonia in children below five years, Tema Metropolis, Ghana, 2012 - 2016
Dora Dadzie1, Adolphina A Addo-Lartey2, Nana Y Peprah3
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra.
Background:
We evaluated the pneumonia surveillance system in Tema Metropolis to determine whether it is meeting its objectives and to assess its attributes.
Design:
Descriptive primary and secondary data analysis.
Data Source:
We interviewed health staff on the system's operation and resources. We also extracted 2012-2016 surveillance dataset for under-five pneumonia cases and deaths from the District Health Information Management System for review.
Participants:
Health staff.
Intervention:
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated guidelines for evaluating surveillance systems was used to assess system attributes.
Main Outcome Measure:
state of the pneumonia surveillance system in Tema.
Results:
A suspected case was defined as fast breathing in any child < 5 years old. The case definition was easy to apply, even at the community level. From 2012 to 2016, a total of 3,337 cases and 54 deaths (case fatality rate 1.6%) was recorded from 13 (23.6%) of 55 health facilities. Two epidemics were missed by the district because data were not being analysed. There were no laboratory data on antimicrobial resistance. Although reporting timeliness increased from 28.1% in 2012 to 83% in 2016, data inconsistencies existed between reporting levels.
Conclusion:
The surveillance system for under-five pneumonia in Tema Metropolis is simple, stable, flexible, timely, but of low sensitivity and acceptability, and only partly meeting its objectives. Major shortcomings are lack of laboratory data, non-use of data and low representativeness.
Funding:
The study was supported by a grant to author DB by the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) -CDC CoAg 6NU2GGH001876.
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