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. 2025 Apr 21:153:e63.
doi: 10.1017/S095026882500038X.

The epidemiology of acute gastrointestinal illness in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania: a population survey

Binyam N Desta  1 , Sara M Pires  2 , Tine Hald  3 , Tesfaye Gobena  4 , Custodia Macuamule  5 , Belisario Moiane  5 , Olanrewaju E Fayemi  6 , Christianah I Ayolabi  6   7 , Gabriel Akanni  6 , Blandina T Mmbaga  8   9 , Kate M Thomas  8   10 , Happiness Kumburu  8   9 , Warren Dodd  1 , Shannon E Majowicz  1
Affiliations

The epidemiology of acute gastrointestinal illness in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania: a population survey

Binyam N Desta et al. Epidemiol Infect. .

Abstract

Gastrointestinal infections significantly impact African low- and middle-income countries, although, accurate data on acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) for all ages are lacking. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of AGI in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. A population survey was conducted in one urban and one rural site per country, from 01 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, using web-based and face-to-face tools (n = 4417). The survey tool was adapted from high-income countries, ensuring comparability through an internationally recommended AGI case definition. Ethiopia had the highest AGI incidence (0.87 episodes per person-year), followed by Mozambique (0.58), Tanzania (0.41), and Nigeria (0.34). Age-standardized incidence was highest in Mozambique (1.46) and Ethiopia (1.25), compared to Tanzania (0.58) and Nigeria (0.33). The 4-week prevalence was 6.4% in Ethiopia and 4.3% in Mozambique, compared to 3.1% in Tanzania and 2.6% in Nigeria. AGI lasted an average of 5.3 days in Ethiopia and 3.0 to 3.4 days elsewhere. Children under five had 4.4 times higher AGI odds (95% CI: 2.8, 6.7) than those aged 15-59. The study provides empirical data on the incidence and demographic determinants of AGI in these four countries.

Keywords: diarrhoea; epidemiology; estimating disease prevalence; gastrointestinal infections; infectious disease epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

BND, SMP, TH, TG, CM, BM, OEF, CIA, GA, BTM, KMT, HK, WD: All authors declare none. SEM: Editorial board member, epidemiology and infection.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Crude incidence (with the minimum value, the first quartile, the median, the third quartile, the maximum value and 95% confidence interval) of acute gastrointestinal illness in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania, and overall, October 2020–September 2021 (n = 4417).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Three-month moving average of the crude 4-week prevalence of acute gastrointestinal illness in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania, October 2020–September 2021 (n = 4417).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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