Improving health information system for malaria program management: Malaria Frontline Project lessons learned from Kano and Zamfara States, Nigeria, 2016-2019.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Program and the African Field Epidemiology Network established the Malaria Frontline Project to provide innovative approaches to improve the malaria program implementation in Kano and Zamfara States, Nigeria. Innovative approaches such as malaria bulletin, malaria monitoring wall chart, conduct of ward level data validation meetings and malaria dashboard have helped improve the use of data for decision making at all levels. Innovative approaches deployed during the project implementation facilitated data analysis and a better understanding of malaria program performance and data utilization for decision making at all levels. These innovative approaches may improve malaria control program performance in Nigeria and other resource limited countries.

Determinants of mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during first and second waves of the pandemic: A retrospective cohort study from an isolation center in Kano, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical predictors of mortality among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia during first and second waves in a treatment center in northwestern Nigeria. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 195 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between April 2020 to March 2021 at a designated COVID-19 isolation center in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria. Data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and p-values were obtained. To determine independent determinants of mortality, we performed a stepwise multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 195 patients studied, 21(10.77%) patients died. Males comprised 158 (81.03%) of the study population. In the adjusted stepwise logistic regression analysis, age>64 years (OR = 9.476, 95% CI: 2.181-41.165), second wave of the pandemic (OR = 49.340, 95% CI:6.222-391.247), cardiac complications (OR = 24.984, 95% CI: 3.618-172.508), hypertension (OR = 5.831, 95% CI:1.413-24.065) and lowest systolic blood pressure while on admission greater than or equal to 90mmHg were independent predictors of mortality (OR = 0.111, 95%CI: 0.021-0.581). CONCLUSION: Strategies targeted to prioritize needed care to patients with identified factors that predict mortality might improve patient outcome.

Malaria Frontline Project: strategic approaches to improve malaria control program leveraging experiences from Kano and Zamfara States, Nigeria, 2016-2019.

BACKGROUND: The Malaria Frontline Project (MFP) supported the National Malaria Elimination Program for effective program implementation in the high malaria-burden states of Kano and Zamfara adapting the National Stop Transmission of Polio (NSTOP) program elimination strategies. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION: The MFP was implemented in 34 LGAs in the two states (20 out of 44 in Kano and all 14 in Zamfara). MFP developed training materials and job aids tailored to expected service delivery for primary and district health facilities and strengthened supportive supervision. Pre- and post-implementation assessments of intervention impacts were conducted in both states. RESULTS: A total of 158 (Kano:83; Zamfara:75) and 180 (Kano:100; Zamfara:80) healthcare workers (HCWs), were interviewed for pre-and post-implementation assessments, respectively. The proportions of HCWs with correct knowledge on diagnostic criteria were Kano: 97.5% to 92.0% and Zamfara: 94.7% to 98.8%; and knowledge of recommended first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria were Kano: 68.7% to 76.0% and Zamfara: 69.3% to 65.0%. The proportion of HCWs who adhered to national guidelines for malaria diagnosis and treatment increased in both states (Kano: 36.1% to 73.0%; Zamfara: 39.2% to 67.5%) and HCW knowledge to confirm malaria diagnosis slightly decreased in Kano State but increased in Zamfara State (Kano: 97.5% to 92.0%; Zamfara: 94.8% to 98.8%). HCWs knowledge of correct IPTp drug increased in both states (Kano: 81.9% to 94.0%; Zamfara: 85.3% to 97.5%). CONCLUSION: MFP was successfully implemented using tailored training materials, job aids, supportive supervision, and data use. The project strategy can likely be adapted to improve the effectiveness of malaria program implementation in other Nigerian states, and other malaria endemic countries.

Epidemiology, diagnostics and factors associated with mortality during a cholera epidemic in Nigeria, October 2020-October 2021: a retrospective analysis of national surveillance data.

OBJECTIVES: Nigeria reported an upsurge in cholera cases in October 2020, which then transitioned into a large, disseminated epidemic for most of 2021. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, diagnostic performance of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits and the factors associated with mortality during the epidemic. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of national surveillance data. SETTING: 33 of 37 states (including the Federal Capital Territory) in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: Persons who met cholera case definition (a person of any age with acute watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting) between October 2020 and October 2021 within the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control surveillance data. OUTCOME MEASURES: Attack rate (AR; per 100 000 persons), case fatality rate (CFR; %) and accuracy of RDT performance compared with culture using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Additionally, individual factors associated with cholera deaths and hospitalisation were presented as adjusted OR with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Overall, 93 598 cholera cases and 3298 deaths (CFR: 3.5%) were reported across 33 of 37 states in Nigeria within the study period. The proportions of cholera cases were higher in men aged 5-14 years and women aged 25-44 years. The overall AR was 46.5 per 100 000 persons. The North-West region recorded the highest AR with 102 per 100 000. Older age, male gender, residency in the North-Central region and severe dehydration significantly increased the odds of cholera deaths. The cholera RDT had excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUROC=0.91; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Cholera remains a serious public health threat in Nigeria with a high mortality rate. Thus, we recommend making RDT kits more widely accessible for improved surveillance and prompt case management across the country.

Effect Of Interpersonal Communication Training Program On Child's Immunization Among Mothers Living In Kebbi State Of Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Sharing of information through health education training of mothers on child vaccination has proved an effective intervention for better outcome and increased immunization coverage. This study aimed to examine the effect of interpersonal communication (IPC) training program on mothers' knowledge of child's vaccination and routine childhood immunization uptake in local government areas (LGAs) of Kebbi State, Nigeria. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two local government areas in Kebbi State, from October 2016 to March 2017. Four hundred twenty mothers participated in the study and were allocated equally (210) in both intervention and control group (n=210) and data were collected on vaccination status of the children after intervention from children's vaccination cards and mother's verbal reports. Independent t test and Chi-square were used to test the effect of intervention on mother's knowledge of child's vaccination and routine childhood immunization uptake between intervention and control group. Study was ethically approved from the review board of Ministry of Health, Nigeria. RESULTS: Mean knowledge scores has improved in the intervention group (M = 5.42, SD = 3.35) and control group (M=1.96, SD=2.37) after intervention with p<0.001. Routine childhood immunization uptake fully immunized (53.8% vs. 9.5%), partially immunized (16.6% vs. 32.8%) and un-immunized (29.5% vs. 57.6%) in both group after intervention with p<0.001. Approximately fifty-four percentages of children in the intervention group were fully immunized after intervention. However, there was minimal change of 2% has been observed in control group. Percentage of unimmunized children was high in both groups at pre-intervention (66%) but this decreased to 29.5% in the intervention group and 57.6% in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that, IPC skill is an effective intervention and a sustainable service for improving the knowledge and uptake of mother's face-to-face education, social mobilization and reminder services about routine childhood immunization within entire population.

Assessment of health service delivery parameters in Kano and Zamfara States, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health established a Master Health Facility List (MHFL) as recommended by WHO. Since then, some health facilities (HFs) have ceased functioning and new facilities were established. We updated the MHFL and assessed service delivery parameters in the Malaria Frontline Project implementing areas in Kano and Zamfara States. METHODS: We assessed all HFs in each of the 34 project local government areas (LGAs) between July and September 2017. Project staff administered a semi-structured questionnaire developed for this assessment to heads of HFs about the type of facility, category and number of staff working at the facility and to record geo-coordinates of facility. RESULTS: In the Kano State project area, 726 HFs were identified and geo-located: 31 were new facilities, 608 (84%), 116 (16%) and two (0.3%) were Primary Health Care (PHC), secondary and tertiary facilities respectively. Using the national definition, there were 710 (98%) functional facilities and 644 (91%) of these reported to the national health information platform, District Health Information System, version 2 (DHIS2). The Zamfara project area had 739 HFs: eight were new, 715 (97%), 22 (3.0%) and two (0.2%) PHCs, secondary and tertiary facilities respectively. There were 695 (94%) functional facilities with 656 (94%) of these reporting to DHIS2. Using national criteria for primary health care designation, only 95 (9%) of all PHCs in the two States met the minimum human resource requirements. CONCLUSION: Most HFs were functional and reported to DHIS2. A comprehensive MHFL having all the important parameters that should be established and updated regularly by authorities to make it more useful for health services administration and management. Most functional facilities are understaffed.