Endorsing Improvements of AFP and Measles Surveillance Performances after the First COVID 19 Pandemic Lockdown (2020-2021), <i>a Comparative Analysis Study Design</i>: The Case of Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Following the declaration of COVID-19 as a global public health threat, disease surveillance activities were crippled in 2020. Documenting surveillance improvements of Sidama region in 2021 has to be endorsed to boost the performances. A comparative analysis study design of acute flaccid paralysis and measles surveillance data of 2020 and 2021 for Sidama region was used. Two years all reports of AFP and suspected measles cases in 2020 and 2021 from Sidama region were used for this study. The non-polio AFP rate and stool adequacy rate were used to assess the sensitivity of the AFP surveillance. Whereas the non-measles febrile rash rate was used to assess the measles surveillance. A total of 91 AFP cases in 2021 and 44 in 2020 have been detected and investigated for polio analysis. All cases were discarded in both years. The stool adequacy rate for 2021 was 90.1%; whereas, 86.4% in 2020. Annualized non-polio AFP rate was 2.2/100,000 for 2020 and 3.8/100,000 for 2021, which the latter is much higher to the minimum expected rate in outbreak areas of 3/100,000. A total of 154 suspected measles cases in 2021 and 111 in 2020 have been investigated for IGM analysis. In 2020, 64 and 11 in 2021 IGM positive for measles were identified. The non-measles febrile rash rate for 2020 was 1.1/100,000; whereas 2.5/100,000 for 2021. There is an improvement in the sensitivity of AFP and measles surveillance performance for Sidama region in 2021. Sustaining high quality measles and AFP surveillance is suggested to maintain measles and polio free statuses.