Immunization of Children under 2 Years Old in the Coastal Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen, during Public Health Emergencies: A Trend Analysis of 2013-2020.

Although immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective interventions that prevents millions of infant and child deaths yearly, it has failed to achieve its intended goals in some low-income countries. Yemen is currently experiencing the most extreme humanitarian crisis globally, which has affected health and worsened its economy and political governance instability. There are few reports on Yemeni vaccination statuses. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the public health emergency crises on childhood immunization in Yemen. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted in the Coastal Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen. Secondary data from governorate annual reports for 2013-2020 were extracted. The assessment of the annual immunization coverage rate according to each vaccine was tabulated. The analysis revealed that the 2013-2019 vaccination coverage in Coastal Hadhramaut demonstrated an increasing trend. However, vaccination coverage decreased for all vaccines in 2015-2016 and 2020. Although all three doses of the pentavalent vaccine demonstrated >85% coverage in all years, the coverage of the first and second doses decreased in 2016, and the coverage of all doses decreased in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health emergencies negatively affected routine immunization coverage in Yemen. The trend correlated with the humanitarian crisis and other research findings in Yemen. The national response to public health threats during emergency crises must involve strengthening the program for monitoring and evaluating vaccine-preventable diseases.

Alternative epidemic indicators for COVID-19 in three settings with incomplete death registration systems.

Not all COVID-19 deaths are officially reported, and particularly in low-income and humanitarian settings, the magnitude of reporting gaps remains sparsely characterized. Alternative data sources, including burial site worker reports, satellite imagery of cemeteries, and social media-conducted surveys of infection may offer solutions. By merging these data with independently conducted, representative serological studies within a mathematical modeling framework, we aim to better understand the range of underreporting using examples from three major cities: Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Aden (Yemen), and Khartoum (Sudan) during 2020. We estimate that 69 to 100%, 0.8 to 8.0%, and 3.0 to 6.0% of COVID-19 deaths were reported in each setting, respectively. In future epidemics, and in settings where vital registration systems are limited, using multiple alternative data sources could provide critically needed, improved estimates of epidemic impact. However, ultimately, these systems are needed to ensure that, in contrast to COVID-19, the impact of future pandemics or other drivers of mortality is reported and understood worldwide.

Malnutrition among hospitalized children 12-59 months of age in Abyan and Lahj Governorates / Yemen.

BACKGROUND: The analysis of acute malnutrition in 2018 for the Integrated Phase Classification of Food Security in Yemen shows that high malnutrition rates are present in Abyan governorate (23%) and Lahj governorate (21%). This analysis was community based addressed all children and mostly due to problems related to food intake. The role of diseases was not yet addressed in Yemen. The aim of this study is to assess acute and chronic malnutrition among hospitalized children at 12-59 months of age in Lahj and Abyan governorates in Yemen. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional, multi-center study is designed. The assessment of the nutritional status was measured by standardized anthropometry of 951 sick children at 12-59 months of age. RESULTS: The prevalence of Global acute malnutrition (GAM) among the sick children seeking care in health facilities in Lahj and Abyan is 21%. More specifically; the prevalence of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) is 15.1% while the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is 6.2%. The prevalence of acute malnutrition (wasting) among the studied sick children in lahj is 23.4% while in Abyan is 19.3%. The prevalence of MAM in Lahj is 17.7% and the prevalence of SAM is 5.7%. The prevalence of acute malnutrition (wasting) in Abyan is 12.6% while the prevalence of SAM in Abyan is 6.7%. The prevalence of acute malnutrition among male children (25.2%) is significantly higher than among female children (17.5%). The prevalence of the chronic malnutrition (Stunting) in the studied sick children is 41.3%; the prevalence of stunting in Lahj is 41% while in Abyan is 41.7%. CONCLUSIONS: High acute and chronic malnutrition rates were identified among sick children seeking care in health facilities in lahj and Abyan, and higher than the SPHERE indicators of malnutrition. Boys are more exposed than girls to acute and chronic malnutrition.

Vaccine hesitancy from parents and healthcare providers perspectives in Hadhramout Governorate, Yemen: a mixed-method study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Although immunisation prevents the death of millions of infants and children each year, the vaccination coverage of routine childhood vaccination does not reach its target. The reasons for low vaccination uptake can be related to both demand and supply side determinants. The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy is increasing globally. However, data on vaccine hesitancy in low-income Arabic countries are scarce. To investigate this issue in Yemen, an Arabic low-income country, we aim to examine the link between vaccine hesitancy and the immunisation status of children living in Costal Hadhramout, Yemen, from the perspective of their parents and healthcare providers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will use a mixed-method research design. The study will be conducted in Costal Hadhramout in three phases. Phase 1 will involve a situational analysis using secondary data from records of the national expanded immunisation programme in Costal Hadhramout to examine the trend for previous years. Phase 2 will be a quantitative study aimed at assessing the prevalence of vaccination status of children aged <2 years and the determinants of parental vaccine hesitancy perception through a validated questionnaire. Lastly, phase 3 will be a qualitative study that explores vaccine hesitancy in Yemen using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with parents and healthcare providers, respectively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Research Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. The findings will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed academic journals, academic conferences and public presentations.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Aden, Yemen: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: In Yemen, initial surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focused primarily on patients with symptoms or severe disease. The full spectrum of the disease remains unclear. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first seroprevalence study performed in Yemen. METHODS: This cross-sectional investigation included 2001 participants from all age groups from four districts in Aden, southern Yemen. A multi-stage sampling method was used. Data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire, and blood samples were taken. Healgen COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Cassettes were used in all participants. All positive RDTs and 14% of negative RDTs underwent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing (WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 Ab ELISA Kit) for confirmation. RESULTS: In total, 549 of 2001 participants were RDT positive and confirmed by ELISA, giving a prevalence of COVID-19 of 27.4%. The prevalence of immunoglobulin G was 25%. The prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 in the entire study group was 7.9%. The highest prevalence was observed in Al-Mansurah district (33.4%). Regarding sociodemographic factors, the prevalence of COVID-19 was significantly higher among females, housewives and subjects with a history of contact with a COVID-19 patient: 32%, 31% and 39%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study found high prevalence of COVID-19 in the study population. Household transmission was common.