Epidemiologic Dynamics, Integrated Bacteriological Profiles and Mortality Predictors of Neonatal Sepsis in Ethiopia: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: Globally, neonatal sepsis presents a significant health challenge, dominantly against marginalized populations worldwide. It has made the neonatal period the most perilous time for child survival, and it continues to cause preventable morbidity and mortality in neonates across all regions, including Africa. Poignantly, compared to developed and some developing countries, there were relatively few data on epidemiological dynamics of the condition and the ongoing crisis of spiraling antimicrobial resistance from bacterial isolates that compel regular surveillance to enhance data- driven decision-making. Likewise, there were also insufficient data on mortalities that stem from the interaction of several chains of variable effects and, in some cases, remain overlooked, needing comprehensive data profiling. Accordingly, we modeled epidemiological dynamics, integrated bacteriological profiles and predictors of mortality and quantitatively determined their etiologic fraction in neonates hospitalized for clinical sepsis in Ethiopia.