Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral damage severely impact health systems globally and risk to worsen the malaria situation in endemic countries. Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ghana. This study aims to describe the potential effects of the COVID-19...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Malaria Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04154-1 |
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| author | Anna-Katharina Heuschen Alhassan Abdul-Mumin Martin Adokiya Guangyu Lu Albrecht Jahn Oliver Razum Volker Winkler Olaf Müller |
| author_facet | Anna-Katharina Heuschen Alhassan Abdul-Mumin Martin Adokiya Guangyu Lu Albrecht Jahn Oliver Razum Volker Winkler Olaf Müller |
| author_sort | Anna-Katharina Heuschen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral damage severely impact health systems globally and risk to worsen the malaria situation in endemic countries. Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ghana. This study aims to describe the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases observed in health facilities in the Northern Region of Ghana. Methods Monthly routine data from the District Health Information Management System II (DHIMS2) of the Northern Region of Ghana were analysed. Overall outpatient department visits (OPD) and malaria case rates from the years 2015–2019 were compared to the corresponding data of the year 2020. Results Compared to the corresponding periods of the years 2015–2019, overall visits and malaria cases in paediatric and adult OPDs in northern Ghana decreased in March and April 2020, when major movement and social restrictions were implemented in response to the pandemic. Cases slightly rebounded afterwards in 2020, but stayed below the average of the previous years. Malaria data from inpatient departments showed a similar but more pronounced trend when compared to OPDs. In pregnant women, however, malaria cases in OPDs increased after the first COVID-19 wave. Conclusions The findings from this study show that the COVID-19 pandemic affects the malaria burden in health facilities of northern Ghana, with declines in inpatient and outpatient rates except for pregnant women. They may have experienced reduced access to insecticide-treated nets and intermittent preventive malaria treatment in pregnancy, resulting in subsequent higher malaria morbidity. Further data, particularly from community-based studies and ideally complemented by qualitative research, are needed to fully determine the impact of the pandemic on the malaria situation in Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:28:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-948559f8f9ef4e6b94dee5fdacfb478f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:28:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-948559f8f9ef4e6b94dee5fdacfb478f2022-12-22T00:39:58ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752022-05-012111810.1186/s12936-022-04154-1Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance dataAnna-Katharina Heuschen0Alhassan Abdul-Mumin1Martin Adokiya2Guangyu Lu3Albrecht Jahn4Oliver Razum5Volker Winkler6Olaf Müller7Institute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-UniversityDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University for Development StudiesDepartment of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University for Development StudiesSchool of Public Health, Medical School, Yangzhou UniversityInstitute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and International Public Health, School of Public Health, Bielefeld UniversityInstitute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-UniversityInstitute of Global Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-UniversityAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral damage severely impact health systems globally and risk to worsen the malaria situation in endemic countries. Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ghana. This study aims to describe the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases observed in health facilities in the Northern Region of Ghana. Methods Monthly routine data from the District Health Information Management System II (DHIMS2) of the Northern Region of Ghana were analysed. Overall outpatient department visits (OPD) and malaria case rates from the years 2015–2019 were compared to the corresponding data of the year 2020. Results Compared to the corresponding periods of the years 2015–2019, overall visits and malaria cases in paediatric and adult OPDs in northern Ghana decreased in March and April 2020, when major movement and social restrictions were implemented in response to the pandemic. Cases slightly rebounded afterwards in 2020, but stayed below the average of the previous years. Malaria data from inpatient departments showed a similar but more pronounced trend when compared to OPDs. In pregnant women, however, malaria cases in OPDs increased after the first COVID-19 wave. Conclusions The findings from this study show that the COVID-19 pandemic affects the malaria burden in health facilities of northern Ghana, with declines in inpatient and outpatient rates except for pregnant women. They may have experienced reduced access to insecticide-treated nets and intermittent preventive malaria treatment in pregnancy, resulting in subsequent higher malaria morbidity. Further data, particularly from community-based studies and ideally complemented by qualitative research, are needed to fully determine the impact of the pandemic on the malaria situation in Africa.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04154-1COVID-19PandemicMalariaSub-Saharan AfricaGhanaNorthern Region |
| spellingShingle | Anna-Katharina Heuschen Alhassan Abdul-Mumin Martin Adokiya Guangyu Lu Albrecht Jahn Oliver Razum Volker Winkler Olaf Müller Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data Malaria Journal COVID-19 Pandemic Malaria Sub-Saharan Africa Ghana Northern Region |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern ghana a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data |
| topic | COVID-19 Pandemic Malaria Sub-Saharan Africa Ghana Northern Region |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04154-1 |
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