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A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Spatial Patterns of Major Limb Loss in the Acholi Sub-Region of Uganda (lay summary)

This is a lay summary of the article published under the DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.14.095836

Published onApr 06, 2023
A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Spatial Patterns of Major Limb Loss in the Acholi Sub-Region of Uganda (lay summary)
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Abstract

BACKGROUND

There is a widely reported preponderance of major limb loss in Northern Uganda, which is believed to have been caused in large part by prolonged civil war. Access to rehabilitation facilities is extremely limited, and there has never been a study to understand how many people have major limb loss, nor how many of them have had access to medical or rehabilitative services.

AIM

The first prevalence study of disability and major limb loss in the region, and evaluated spatial patterns of cases of MLL.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

This research was undertaken in a community setting (at subjects’ homes).

POPULATION

7,864 randomly selected households throughout the Acholi Sub-Region of Northern Uganda.

METHODS

This study comprised two questionnaires, the first to be completed by the head of every sampled household (n=7,864), and the second by any member of the household with major limb loss (n=181). Household locations were examined for spatial autocorrelation using Moran’s I statistic. The X^2 goodness of fit statistic was used to profile those with major limb loss in comparison with the underlying population.

RESULTS

We conservatively estimate that there are c.10,117 people with major limb loss in the region who require long-term rehabilitation services (c.0.5% of the population), and c.150,512 people with disabilities other than MLL (c.8.2% of the population). People with major limb loss are spread throughout the region (as opposed to clustered in specific locations) and are disproportionately male, older and less well educated than the general population.

CONCLUSION

This research demonstrates, for the first time, the extent of the inadequacy of long-term rehabilitation services for those with major limb-loss in the study area. We provide new insight into the reasons that people are not accessing medical and rehabilitative services, and propose a way forward through the successful demonstration of an ‘outreach clinic’ model.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

The discovery of the spatial pattern of those with major limb loss, alongside the demonstration of the clinical outreach model, provides a compelling argument for the need of more such services and associated policy frameworks in remote and rural regions in the Global South.


Disclaimer

This summary is a free resource intended to make African research and research that affects Africa, more accessible to non-expert global audiences. It was compiled by ScienceLink's team of professional African science communicators as part of the Masakhane MT: Decolonise Science project. ScienceLink has taken every precaution possible during the writing, editing, and fact-checking process to ensure that this summary is easy to read and understand, while accurately reporting on the facts presented in the original research paper. Note, however, that this summary has not been fact-checked or approved by the authors of the original research paper, so this summary should be used as a secondary resource. Therefore, before using, citing or republishing this summary, please verify the information presented with the original authors of the research paper, or email [email protected] for more information.

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A Reply to this Pub
Prevalence of Major Limb Loss (MLL) in Post conflict Acholi sub-region of Northern Uganda: Cross sectional study
Description

Background: Awareness of residual disabilities amongst people living in countries recovering from prolonged armed conflicts and their socio-economic consequences is increasing. Robust data on the prevalence of such disabilities are important for planning cost effective health services. This study outlines the first community-based prevalence study of Major Limb Loss (MLL) in the Acholi sub region of Northern Uganda. The generic lessons learnt are relevant to many other post-conflict societies in Asia and Africa. Methods: A cross sectional survey using random cluster sampling was conducted across 8,000 households in eight districts, of which 7,864 were suitable for analysis. The households were sampled randomly using a high-resolution population model generated using a combination of census data and artificial intelligence. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires administered by trained staff, and results were statistically analysed to identify patterns. Results: Data obtained from 7,864 households demonstrated that 47.9% (3,763) of households contained people with disabilities, and 3.0%, (237) of households contained people living with MLL. Of those exhibiting disabilities, the most common types were physical disabilities affecting mobility and other conditions limiting vision or hearing. Our analysis suggests that MLL sufferers are disproportionately male, older and less well educated than the general population. Using the identified prevalence rate of MLL (0.6%) and an estimated population value for the Acholi Sub-Region of 1.9 million, we estimate that there are approximately 11,400 MLL sufferers in the region who require long-term rehabilitation services. Conclusions: This is the first large scale study on the prevalence of MLL following the Ugandan civil war - known for extreme forms of violence, cruelty and mutilation. Our study demonstrates the magnitude of the problem still faced by the affected people, almost 15 years after the end of large scale combat, and the relative paucity of rehabilitation services to meet their needs. Suitable alternative health policy frameworks are required to address these relatively invisible needs.

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