A Retrospective Analysis of Pediatric Mortality Trends Over 2 Years at a National Referral Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.

INTRODUCTION

Child mortality is a critical global health indicator, reflecting a nation's development and healthcare quality. Despite significant progress in reducing child mortality globally, Somalia continues to experience high rates, particularly among infants and young children, due to preventable and treatable conditions. Malnutrition, birth complications and infectious diseases are the leading causes of death.

OBJECTIVE

To assess and analyse the trends in pediatric mortality over the past 2 years at a national referral hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted in the pediatric Department of Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, reviewed records of 1513 pediatric deaths during the study period, of which 70 were excluded due to incomplete records, leaving 1443 cases that met the inclusion criteria for analysis.

RESULTS

The overall pediatric mortality rate during the study period was 5.3%. Male children accounted for 56.5% of deaths, whereas females represented 43.5%. Infants under 1 year were disproportionately affected, contributing to most deaths. The primary causes of death were severe acute malnutrition (29.04%), birth asphyxia (10.33%) and preterm (13.65%). The majority of deaths occurred within the first 24 h after admission and between 2 and 5 days of hospitalisation. Significant associations were found between the age of the child and the cause of death (χ2 = 537.485, p < 0.001). Additionally, there were significant associations between the year of death and the age of the child (χ2 = 17.669, p < 0.001), as well as the number of deaths in children per year (χ2 = 89.057, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The leading cause of pediatric death was SAM, followed by prematurity and birth asphyxia. Most deaths occurred within the first 24 h of hospital admission. Nationwide, multi-centre studies and interventions are highly recommended.