Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 061 (ConfProc7) | Published:  08 Jul 2026

Factors associated with measles in Benin: Analysis of the measles case surveillance database from 2020 to 2024

Modeste Houemenou1,2,&, Ghislain Sopoh3, Aimé Goundote3, Bernard Aniwanou4, Koffi Akolly1, Arnold Taokang Sadio1,2, Takpaya Gnaro1,2, Fifonsi Adjidossi Gbeasor-Komlanvi1,2, Koumavi Ekouevi1,2

1West Africa Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (WA-FETP), Lomé, Togo, 2Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Publique (CFRSP), Lomé, Togo, 3Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin, 4Ministère de la Santé, Cotonou, Bénin 

&Corresponding author: Modeste S. Houemenou; West Africa Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (WA-FELTP), Lomé, Togo, Email: modestehouemenou@yahoo.fr

Received: 19 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 08 Jul 2026

Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology

This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025

Keywords: Measles, surveillance, vaccination, Benin

©Modeste Houemenou et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite this article: Modeste Houemenou et al. Factors associated with Measles in Benin: Analysis of the measles case surveillance database from 2020 to 2024. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):061. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0061

Introduction

Despite the existence of a safe and effective measles vaccine, Benin records measles outbreaks every year. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile and identify factors associated with measles in Benin from 2020 to 2024.

Methods

All suspected measles cases with available serological results recorded in Benin’s national surveillance database between 2020 and 2024 were analyzed. A confirmed case was defined as any suspected case with a positive immunoglobulin M result. Socio-demographic characteristics, vaccination status, and biological data were described using R version 4.3.3. When missing values were present, they were categorized as a separate category for the corresponding variable. Variables with a p-value < 0.20 in bivariate analyses were included in a multivariable logistic regression model to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 3,233 suspected measles cases were reported between 2020 and 2024, of which 36.3% were confirmed. Children aged 1-5 years accounted for 53.2% of confirmed cases, 78.9% resided in rural areas, and only 15.1% were vaccinated. The annual incidence rate increased from 0.1 to 3.5 cases per 100,000 population between 2020 and 2024. The case fatality rate was 1.4%. Vaccination (aOR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.35–0.53) and living in urban areas (aOR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.55–0.79) were protective against measles. Compared with 2020, the risk of measles was higher in 2022 (aOR: 7.25; 95% CI: 4.09–14.1), in 2023 (aOR: 8.5; 95% CI: 4.83–11.4), and in 2024 (aOR: 11.3; 95% CI: 6.42–21.9).

Conclusion

Measles incidence increased annually, mainly among unvaccinated individuals and in rural areas. Strengthening vaccination coverage and surveillance, particularly in rural settings, is necessary to sustainably reduce the burden of measles in Benin.

 
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