Trends in diarrhoeal disease hospitalisation in a paediatric short - stay ward at a tertiary-level hospital in Soweto: 2002-2016

Abstract

Globally, a decline in diarrhoeal disease has been observed over the last two decades. This may be attributable to several interventions, including rotavirus vaccination since 2009 in South Africa. From January 2002 to December 2016, we conducted a retrospective trend analysis of diarrhoeal hospitalisations with mild or moderate dehydration to a short-stay ward (SSW) in children <14 years of age. We found that diarrhoeal hospitalisation to the SSW accounted for 29.3% of the 53 717 children who presented with diarrhoea to the emergency department. A significant decline in disease incidence was noted after 2009/2010, coinciding with rotavirus vaccine implementation into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The yearly incidence (per 100 000) declined from 307 (95% confidence interval (CI) 277 - 337) over the 2002/2008 period to 141 (95% CI 120 - 161) from 2011/2016; p<0.001. In conclusion, rotavirus vaccination was associated with a decline of diarrhoeal disease hospitalisations to the SSW at this hospital.