Trends in Diarrhea Hospitalization among Children <5 Years Old Before and During the Covid-19 Season in Fako Division, Cameroon: A Situation Clouded by Sociopolitical Conflict

Abstract

Diarrhea is a major cause of illness and death for children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa, with around 500k deaths annually. COVID-19 affected hospitalization rates for diarrhea. This study was done in four hospitals in Fako Division on diarrhea hospitalization records of children under 5 from 2013 to 2022. Stratified sampling was used, and data was summarized using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. Differences were evaluated using chi square with a significance level of P<0.05. Diarrhea hospitalization rate was high at 30.9%, with more cases reported during Covid-19 than before. Peak hospitalization occurred in 2019 and 2020. However, there was a significant decrease in hospitalization rates in 2021 and 2022. Children aged 0-5 months had the highest rates of diarrhea hospitalization at 29.4%. High diarrhea rates in the study area were due to conflict-related population influx. COVID-19 season saw higher hospitalization rates due to virus-induced diarrhea and population influx. Infants under 5 are most vulnerable to diarrhea. More diarrhea hospitalizations in COVID-19 season due to influx of displaced families and COVID-19 - induced diarrhea caused unusual data. Keywords: Age, COVID-19, Children, Coverage, Diarrhea, Rotavirus, Vaccine, Vaccination, Sub-Saharan Africa.