Publications by authors named "Gebrekrstos Gebru"
Background: With a Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 516 deaths per 100,000 live-births, Sierra Leone hosts one of the highest maternal mortalities in globally. National data indicates that over 98% of maternal deaths are related to delays in accessing obstetric services. This study sought to examine factors contributing to delays in accessing maternal delivery services as perceived by women in Sierra Leone.
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- The study focused on the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of specific bacteria linked to nosocomial infections in postmortem blood from stillbirths and children under five in Sierra Leone, as part of the CHAMPS program.
- Over the study period from March 2019 to February 2022, 367 bacterial isolates were analyzed, with findings revealing that one organism was most commonly isolated, followed by two others, highlighting significant resistance patterns.
- Results indicated a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms, particularly among the isolates, raising concerns about antimicrobial stewardship and the effectiveness of treatment options in the region.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on healthcare systems and services, including routine immunization (RI). To date, there is limited information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on RI in West African countries such as Sierra Leone, which had already experienced public health emergencies that disrupted its healthcare system. Here, we describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the RI of key antigens in Sierra Leone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Globally, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major public health problem. The tuberculosis rate in Sierra Leone is 298 per 100,000 people, and Sierra Leone is considered a country with a high burden of tuberculosis. In Sierra Leone, there are few studies on the outcomes of MDR-TB treatment, especially those exacerbated by COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system was adopted by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2008, which was based on paper-based tools for health data recording and reporting from health facilities to the national level. The Sierra Leone MoH introduced the implementation of electronic case-based disease surveillance reporting of immediately notifiable diseases. This study aimed to document and describe the experience of Sierra Leone in transforming her paper-based disease surveillance system into an electronic disease surveillance system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: globally, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) kills around 1.27 million 700,000 people each year. In Sierra Leone, there is limited information on antibiotic use among healthcare workers (HCWs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis observational study assessed key attributes of the hypertension surveillance system at Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema District, Sierra Leone. We administered semistructured questionnaires; reviewed hospital registers, patient charts, and the District Health Information Software database; and rated the implementation status of each attribute as poor (1-3), average (4-6), or good (7-10). Of the 7 attributes, simplicity, flexibility, and acceptability were good; stability was average, but timeliness, sensitivity, and data quality were poor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: the Kenema District Surveillance team in Sierra Leone received notifications of patients with suspected Lassa fever on February 20 and March 2, 2019. On that day, an investigation started to confirm the diagnosis and search for additional cases.
Methods: we used the Lassa fever surveillance case definition and collected demographic and exposure information from suspected cases through interviews and clinical records.
Introduction: In Sierra Leone, diseases related to water, sanitation, and hygiene remain among the leading cause of morbidity and account for 20% of all death. This study assessed the water, sanitation, and hygiene services and practices at household level in Sierra Leone.
Methods: A cluster survey was conducted among 1002 households in 4 districts of Sierra Leone.
Introduction: many studies have shown that unimproved water sources, inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygiene are the main causes of diarrheal diseases, especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with diarrheal diseases in Sierra Leone.
Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2019.