Overview of COVID-19 Sentinel surveillance in Niger from October 2022 to March 2024

Abstract Introduction Epidemiological surveillance in community and hospital settings enables active case detection and the implementation of preventive measures to protect the patient’s surroundings. Methodology The surveillance network consisted of six sentinel sites, five in community settings (Integrated Health Centers - IHC) and one in a hospital setting (National Hospital of Niamey - HNN). Surveillance took place from October 2022 to March 2024. Patients who consented and presented clinical signs consistent with Covid-19 were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and clinical signs were collected. A nasopharyngeal swab was taken, and statistical analyses were performed using R software (© R-4.2.1). A 5% significance level was used. Results The Covid-19 surveillance network included 944 suspected cases, with an overall positivity rate of 1.50%. Males (529, 56%) were more represented than females (415, 44%). The male-to-female ratio was 1.28. Positive cases were more frequent among patients aged 0-5 years, 5-15 years, and over 50 years. Cough (80.04%), dyspnea (46.25%), fever (44.46%), and headaches (38.01%) were the most common symptoms. Correlations were observed between vomiting (p = 0.049), loss of appetite (p = 0.049), cancer (p = 0.0009), muscle pain (p = 0.016), and Covid-19 positivity. Conclusion The integration of Covid-19 surveillance was effective and facilitated by multisectoral collaboration between community and hospital structures. Maintaining this surveillance network for the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be a major challenge in the future for Niger and, more generally, for African countries.