Neonatal tetanus elimination in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Idema, C.D.
- Harris, B.N.
- Ogunbanjo, G.A.
- Durrheim, D.N.
DOIAbstract
Neonatal tetanus (NNT) is a serious but preventable disease, and the World Health Organization (WHO) wants to eliminate NNT globally by reducing its incidence to <1 case per 1000 live births. South Africa adopted this goal in 1995, but Mpumalanga, a rural province, has consistently reported cases of NNT despite an appropriate vaccination strategy to eliminate the disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the completeness of the passive notification system and to explore reasons for ongoing NNT cases despite implementation of the provincial vaccination strategy. We reviewed all hospital admissions in the province between 1996 and 2000 meeting the case definition for NNT and interviewed mothers of the NNT cases reported in 2000. We ide...
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