Sociodemographic and Clinical Risk Factors Associated with Mortality in Children with Acute Meningitis Admitted at Lubango Pediatric Hospital – Angola

Abstract

To reach the ambitious target of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), with countries aiming to end preventable death of newborn and under five children and reduce the mortality rate among children under 5 years to at least 25 per 1000 live birth, we need to understand the principles preventable causes and risk factors leading to child mortality. Among these preventable diseases, meningitis has one of the highest fatality rates and the potential to cause long term disability and devastating epidemics. This study is the first one in trying to identify the risk factors associated in mortality with meningitis in children admitted at luabango pediatric hospital. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to identify the sociodemographic and clinical risk factors associated with mortality in children admitted with the diagnosis of meningitis at lubango pediatric hospital, Angola. Following approval of the ethics committee at Lubango Pediatric Hospital, records of patients diagnosed with acute meningitis between 2020 and 2021 was extracted from infectious ward file record. Data was analyzed using SPSS 23. 20 (26.7%) of children admitted at lubango Pediatric hospital with the diagnosis of meningitis during the period of the study died. Mother’s level of education ((P: 0.000), Vaccination status of the children (P:0.018) and vomiting (P: 0.007) were associated with mortality in a Bivariate analysis. Lethality rate of children with the diagnosis of meningitis admitted at lubango Pediatric hospital during the period of the study was 26.7%. mother’s level of education, Vaccination status of the children and vomiting were strongly associated with mortality.