Abstract
BackgroundCommunity services and supports are essential for children transitioning home to recover from the hospital after surgery. This study assessed the availability and geographic capacity of rehabilitation, assistive devices, familial support, and school reintegration programs for school-aged children in Uganda with identified surgical need.MethodsThis study assessed the geographic epidemiology and spatial analysis of resource availability in communities in Uganda. Participants were children with identified surgical need using the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical need (SOSAS). Community-based resources available to children and adolescents after surgery in Uganda were identified using publicly available data sources and searching for resources through consultation with in-country collaborators We sought resources available in all geographic regions for a variety of services.ResultsOf 1082 individuals surveyed aged 5 to 14 yearsr, 6.2% had identified surgical needs. Pediatric surgical conditions were most prevalent in the Northern and Central regions of Uganda. Of the 151 community-based services identified, availability was greatest in the Central region and least in the Northern region, regardless of type. Assuming 30% of children with surgical needs will need services, a maximum of 50.1% of these children would have access to the needed services in the extensive capacity estimates, while only 10.0% would have access in the minimal capacity estimates. The capacity varied dramatically by region with the Northern region having much lower capacity in all scenarios as compared to the Central, Eastern, or Western regions.ConclusionsOur study found that beyond the city of Kampala in the Central region, community-based services were severely lacking for school-aged children in Uganda. Increased pediatric surgical capacity to additional hospitals in Uganda will need to be met with increased availability and access to community-based services to support recovery and community re-integration.
Highlights
Community services and supports are essential for children transitioning home to recover from the hospital after surgery
The major causes of disability among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) include war, infectious disease, malnutrition, dangerous living and working conditions, injuries caused by trauma or accidents, and congenital conditions [1, 6]
Even if treated, many surgical conditions carry the risk of life-long disability and have limited value without proper follow-up [8]
Summary
Community services and supports are essential for children transitioning home to recover from the hospital after surgery. The major causes of disability among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) include war, infectious disease, malnutrition, dangerous living and working conditions, injuries caused by trauma or accidents (predominantly road), and congenital conditions [1, 6]. Many of these conditions require surgical intervention [7, 8], and previous research has found the lifetime prevalence of surgical conditions for children ranges from 10 to 85% in LMICs, with the most common conditions being trauma-related, congenital deformities, and masses [8,9,10]. Even if treated, many surgical conditions carry the risk of life-long disability and have limited value without proper follow-up [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
