Paediatric in-patient care in a conflict-torn region of Somalia: are hospital outcomes of acceptable quality?

SETTING
A district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia.

OBJECTIVE
To report on in-patient paediatric morbidity, case fatality and exit outcomes as indicators of quality of care.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

RESULTS
Of 6211 children, lower respiratory tract infections (48%) and severe acute malnutrition (16%) were the leading reasons for admission. The highest case-fatality rate was for meningitis (20%). Adverse outcomes occurred in 378 (6%) children, including 205 (3.3%) deaths; 173 (2.8%) absconded.

CONCLUSION
Hospital exit outcomes are good even in conflict-torn Somalia, and should boost efforts to ensure that such populations are not left out in the quest to achieve universal health coverage.