A Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance program was launched at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital in November 2024.
RSV is the leading viral pathogen causing respiratory infections in young infants worldwide, contributing to approximately 33 million cases of acute respiratory tract infections, 3 million hospitalizations, and 59,600 in-hospital deaths in children under 5 years of age. However, the burden of this disease in Ethiopia remains unknown.
Therefore, this surveillance program focuses on assessing the prevalence, severity and seasonal burden of RSV infection among children under two years, admitted to the pediatric emergency department at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital. The surveillance program plans to collect at least 1000 nasopharyngeal swab samples, within a year, from children under two years old who are admitted.
