Morbidity and Mortality Due to Pneumococcal Disease in Children in Ecuador from 2005 to 2015

Ruth Jimbo-Sotomayor; Luciana Armijos-Acurio; José Proaño-Espinosa; Katy Segarra-Galarza; Xavier Sánchez-Choez

doi:10.4103/jgid.jgid_125_19

Morbidity and Mortality Due to Pneumococcal Disease in Children in Ecuador from 2005 to 2015

J Glob Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 29;12(3):124-128. doi: 10.4103/jgid.jgid_125_19. eCollection 2020 Jul-Sep.

Authors

Ruth Jimbo-Sotomayor^{1

2}, Luciana Armijos-Acurio¹, José Proaño-Espinosa¹, Katy Segarra-Galarza¹, Xavier Sánchez-Choez^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Graduate School of Family and Community Medicine, Quito, Ecuador.
² Alcalá De Henares University, Alcalá De Henares, España.

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that pneumococcal disease significantly increases morbidity and mortality rates in children 5 years old and under. These infections constitute the main cause of preventable deaths in the world, considering the availability of vaccination. Considering that Ecuador is in a high incidence region, despite the introduction of the vaccine, this study aims to describe the burden of hospitalized pneumococcal disease and related mortality in our country between 2005 and 2015, to help decision-making processes for the health authorities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzes morbidity, mortality, and the situation in Ecuador caused by pneumococcal disease in children 5 years old and under between 2005 and 2015 using national databases.

Results: A total of 163,852 cases of children 5 years old and under were reported to have been hospitalized due to pneumococcal-related diseases. Males comprised 54.7% of the cases and females 45.3%. In 36% of the cases, the patients were 1 year old or under. The mortality rate due to pneumococcal disease in Ecuador in children aged 5 and under decreased in 48% during 2005-2015.

Conclusion: The decrease in mortality can be related to the introduction of the vaccine and an increase in access to health care by the general population in the country. It is important to study the specific impact of the vaccine in the reduction of morbidity and mortality of children in Ecuador.

Keywords: Child health; Streptococcus pneumoniae; infectious diseases; pneumococcal disease; public health.