TY - JOUR
T1 - The epidemiology of acute gastrointestinal illness in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania
T2 - A population survey
AU - Desta, Binyam N.
AU - Pires, Sara M.
AU - Hald, Tine
AU - Gobena, Tesfaye
AU - Macuamule, Custodia
AU - Moiane, Belisario
AU - Fayemi, Olanrewaju E.
AU - Ayolabi, Christianah I.
AU - Akanni, Gabriel
AU - Mmbaga, Blandina T.
AU - Thomas, Kate M.
AU - Kumburu, Happiness
AU - Dodd, Warren
AU - Majowicz, Shannon E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025.
PY - 2025/4/21
Y1 - 2025/4/21
N2 - Gastrointestinal infections significantly impact African low- and middle-income countries, although, accurate data on acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) for all ages are lacking. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of AGI in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. A population survey was conducted in one urban and one rural site per country, from 01 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, using web-based and face-to-face tools (n=4417). The survey tool was adapted from high-income countries, ensuring comparability through an internationally recommended AGI case definition. Ethiopia had the highest AGI incidence (0.87 episodes per person-year), followed by Mozambique (0.58), Tanzania (0.41), and Nigeria (0.34). Age-standardized incidence was highest in Mozambique (1.46) and Ethiopia (1.25), compared to Tanzania (0.58) and Nigeria (0.33). The 4-week prevalence was 6.4% in Ethiopia and 4.3% in Mozambique, compared to 3.1% in Tanzania and 2.6% in Nigeria. AGI lasted an average of 5.3days in Ethiopia and 3.0 to 3.4days elsewhere. Children under five had 4.4 times higher AGI odds (95% CI: 2.8, 6.7) than those aged 15-59. The study provides empirical data on the incidence and demographic determinants of AGI in these four countries.
AB - Gastrointestinal infections significantly impact African low- and middle-income countries, although, accurate data on acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) for all ages are lacking. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of AGI in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. A population survey was conducted in one urban and one rural site per country, from 01 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, using web-based and face-to-face tools (n=4417). The survey tool was adapted from high-income countries, ensuring comparability through an internationally recommended AGI case definition. Ethiopia had the highest AGI incidence (0.87 episodes per person-year), followed by Mozambique (0.58), Tanzania (0.41), and Nigeria (0.34). Age-standardized incidence was highest in Mozambique (1.46) and Ethiopia (1.25), compared to Tanzania (0.58) and Nigeria (0.33). The 4-week prevalence was 6.4% in Ethiopia and 4.3% in Mozambique, compared to 3.1% in Tanzania and 2.6% in Nigeria. AGI lasted an average of 5.3days in Ethiopia and 3.0 to 3.4days elsewhere. Children under five had 4.4 times higher AGI odds (95% CI: 2.8, 6.7) than those aged 15-59. The study provides empirical data on the incidence and demographic determinants of AGI in these four countries.
KW - diarrhoea
KW - epidemiology
KW - estimating disease prevalence
KW - gastrointestinal infections
KW - infectious disease epidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105003489464&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S095026882500038X
DO - 10.1017/S095026882500038X
M3 - Article
C2 - 40256804
AN - SCOPUS:105003489464
SN - 0950-2688
VL - 153
JO - Epidemiology and Infection
JF - Epidemiology and Infection
M1 - e63
ER -