Pattern of diarrheal diseases in Atwima Nwabiagya District-Ghana, 2009- 2013.
BACKGROUND
Diarrheal diseases remain one of the most important public health challenges worldwide. In 2011, Ghana recorded average annual diarrheal cases of 2,218 per 100,000 populations for children under-five with Ashanti region recording the third highest. In the Atwima Nwabiagya District, summary statistics are done without detailed analysis. We analyzed diarrheal surveillance data to determine its pattern and to develop threshold levels for the disease in Atwima Nwabiagya District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.


METHODS
District level diarrheal morbidity data from January 2009 to December 2013 was extracted from District Health Information Management System II, cleaned and analyzed. Descriptive analysis was done and expressed as frequencies and relative frequencies. Description of the data was done in time, place and person. We calculated diarrhea threshold using the C2 method.


RESULTS
Overall, 51,131 cases were reported with 55.2% being females over the five year period. The highest episode of diarrhea by age-group occurred in children under-five during the study period. Changes in disease occurrence did not conform to a seasonal pattern. District analysis showed one outbreak whilst sub-district analysis revealed more than one outbreak.


CONCLUSIONS
Diarrheal disease pattern did not show a seasonal trend. Only one outbreak was observed at district level but each sub-district, showed more than one outbreak. The highest number of episodes of diarrhea per year occurred in Children under- five. Data analysis should be done at lower levels to inform interventions. Interventions should be targeted towards children under-five years.
Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP); Ghana Health Service.
Nana Yaw
NY
Peprah
Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP).
Donne Kofi
DK
Ameme
Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP).
Samuel
S
Sackey
Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP).
Kofi Mensah
KM
Nyarko
Ghana Health Service.
Akosua
A
Gyasi
Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP).
Edwin
E
Afari
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
Atwima Nwabiagya; C2-Method; DHIMS; Ghana; Health Information Management System II; diarrhea