Prevalence of Paediatric Surgical Conditions in Eastern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Date
2022-01-01
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Springer International Publishing
Abstract
Background The role of surgery in global health has gained greater attention in recent years. Approximately 1.8 billion
children below 15 years live in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Many surgical conditions affect children.
Therefore, paediatric surgery requires specific emphasis. Left unattended, the consequences can be dire. Despite this,
there is a paucity of data regarding prevalence of surgical conditions in children in LMIC. The present objective was to
investigate the prevalence of paediatric surgical conditions in children in a defined geographical area in Eastern Uganda.
Method A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site
located in Eastern Uganda. Through a two-stage, cluster-based sampling process, 490 households from 49 villages
were randomly selected, generating a study population of 1581 children. The children’s caregivers were interviewed,
and the children were physically examined by two medical doctors to identify any surgical conditions.
Results The interview was performed with 1581 children, and 1054 were physically examined. Among these, the
overall prevalence of any surgical condition was 16.0 per cent (n=169). Of these, 39 per cent had an unmet surgical
need (66 of 169). This is equivalent to a 6.3 per cent prevalence of current unmet surgical need. The most common
groups of surgical condition were congenital anomalies and trauma-related conditions.
Conclusion Surgical conditions in children are common in eastern Uganda. The unmet need for surgery is high. With
a growing population, the need for paediatric surgical capacity will increase even further. The health care system
must be reinforced to provide services for children with surgical conditions if United Nations Sustainability
Development Goal 3 is to be achieved by 2030.
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Citation
Ajiko, Mary Margaret, Viking Weidman, Pär Nordin, et al. 'Prevalence of Paediatric Surgical Conditions in Eastern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study', World Journal of Surgery, vol. 46/no. 3, (2022), pp. 701-708.