Conference abstract
Evaluation of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system, Sokoto State, Nigeria: 2012 - 2016
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2018:8(91).12
Apr 2018.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2018.8.91.695
Archived on: 12 Apr 2018
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Keywords: Acute flaccid paralysis, case investigation form, Nigeria
Opening ceremony
Evaluation of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system, Sokoto State, Nigeria: 2012 - 2016
Ismail Abdullateef Raji1,&, Muhammad Balogun1, Bola Lawal1
1Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria
&Corresponding author
Ismail Abdullateef Raji, Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria
Introduction: Nigeria is one of the three countries where transmission of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) still occurs. Transmission occurs only in the Northern part of the country. We evaluated the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) Surveillance system to assess the attributes of the system in Sokoto State, Northern Nigeria.
Methods: we used the Updated CDC Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems and the WHO Performance Standards to assess the performance of the system. We interviewed stakeholders and reviewed AFP Surveillance data from 2012 - 2016. We computed frequencies and proportions.
Results: all the respondents knew that poliomyelitis was caused by a virus and they all felt that AFP case definition was easy to understand. Seventy-eight percent of them reported that completion of the Case Investigation Form (CIF) was simple. Eighty-five percent reported that data was always complete, but examination of data from 2012 - 2016 showed incomplete data. All the respondents were willing to continue participating in the AFP surveillance. The non-polio AFP rate (13.5 to 23.5%) and stool specimen adequacy rate (90 to 100%) indicated high sensitivity. Proportion of cases investigated within 48 hours of notification, timely transportation, specimen arriving laboratory in good condition were all above WHO minimum standard of 80%. Surveillance was on-going in all LGAs in the State involving 56.7% males and 43.3% females. The Surveillance system was stable over the period of evaluation with dedicated staff from the State Ministry of Health and support from WHO.
Conclusion: the AFP Surveillance system in Sokoto State is performing well. The system is useful, simple, flexible, acceptable, sensitive, representative, timely and stable. The data quality is poor due to incompleteness of data. We recommend that regular training of data collectors should be implemented, improvement in human resources and increased funding from both State and Federal Government.
