ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology Volume 7 Number 1 1 of 5 Measles Among Hospitalized Nigerian Children O Adetunji, E Olusola, F Ferdinad, O Olorunyomi, J Idowu, O Ademola Citation O Adetunji, E Olusola, F Ferdinad, O Olorunyomi, J Idowu, O Ademola. Measles Among Hospitalized Nigerian Children. The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2006 Volume 7 Number 1. Abstract Background: Measles is a vaccine preventable infection. The prevalence of the infection in any setting is thus a tool for measuring the effectiveness of the immunization program in the locality. Objectives: To study the rate and effect of immunization in hospitalized children with measles. Methods: A one year prospective study, between October 1st , 2005 and November 31st, 2006, in which consecutive children admitted with measles at the children's emergency unit of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun –State were studied. Results: All the 42 (21 male and 21 female) children admitted with measles in this period were studied and their ages ranged between 5 months to 8 years. These children accounted for 42 (6.6%) of the total 636 admissions at the children emergency unit over the study period. The common modes of presentation were pneumonia, heart failure, croup and gastroenteritis. Of the 42 children 13(31.0%) were immunized and the remaining 29(69.0%) were not immunized against measles. The common reasons stated for failing to receive the vaccine by the parents of the non-immunized children were, the unavailability of vaccines at the health facility by 12(41.4%) and the children being under age for immunization (age below 9 months) by 8(27.6%). The mean number of hospitalization days was 4.3 for the immunized and 5.2 for the non-immunized patients. Of the 42 cases of measles, there were 8 (19.0%) deaths. Six (75.0%) of the 8 fatal cases were non-immunized. Conclusion: To reduce the morbidity and mortality arising from measles, efforts should be made to ensure the availability of potent vaccines at all appropriate health facilities always. Also the National Program on Immunization should be modified to accommodate a first dose of vaccine at 6 and the second at 9 months. INTRODUCTION Measles is a viral infectious vaccine preventable disease. Sadly, however, it continues to be one of the present day scourges of the developing world. 1 Elimination of measles has been achieved in some regions of the world; however this has so far been unattainable in the African continent. 2 Globally more than 30 million people are infected yearly and in the year 2004, measles killed an estimated 454,000 people of which more than 95% were located in the sub- Saharan Africa. A disease with such a high rate of morbidity and mortality requires proper attention in order to achieve control. Presently, the UNNICEF, WHO and other philanthropic bodies are making concerted efforts to eliminate this infection from Nigeria. The present study is another attempt to document the problem that measles constitutes to the well being of children living in a developing country and proffer solutions to the childhood measles problem in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY This is a prospective study in which information on consecutive children presenting with clinical features of measles at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital Osogbo, between 1 st October 2005 and 30 th September 2006 was recorded in a proforma. Two consultant paediatricians [OOA and EPO] recruited all the patients and the diagnosis of measles was clinical in all cases. Patients presenting with fever and a generalized erythematous maculopapular rash, spreading from the head/hair line down to the extremities/feet, preceded by a prodromal cough, rhinorrhea and conjunctivitis and a prior history of contact with person(s) known to have suffered