The Triple Scourge of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are the Leading Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in the Emergency Paediatrics Unit in North Central Nigeria.

Abstract

Disease patterns in children tend to change with time especially in the light of improved or sometimes worsened socio-economic standards coupled with interventional measures aimed at combating childhood illnesses. The Objective of the review was to describe the current morbidity and mortality pattern and identify the leading causes of morbidity and mortality of children attending the Jos University teaching Hospital. Consecutive patients admitted in to the hospital’s Emergency Paediatrics Unit (EPU) were studied over a year period. We reviewed the clinical records of patients admitted in to the Emergency Paediatrics Unit over a year beginning in June 2006. Five hundred and fifteen children were admitted during the period of one year. There were 316 male and 199 female children with a male: female ratio of 1.5:1. Children aged below two years constituted 47% of all admissions. More patients were admitted in the months of November and December compared to other months of the year. Malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis dominated the cases of infections admitted and were seen throughout the year. There were nine cases of poisoning; six (66%) were due to kerosene and organophosphates. Outcome data was available only on 369 cases. Of these, 296 (90.2%) survived intact, 8 (2.2%) developed complications while 21 (5.1%) died. The mean (standard deviation) duration of stay in the unit was 5.1 (5.6) hours. Of the the 21 children who died, 11 (52.4%) were accounted for by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria related complications. We conclude that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria were the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the north central city of Jos and this has a huge implication for the human and economic development of this region.