Original CommunicationEstimating operative disease prevalence in a low-income country: Results of a nationwide population survey in Rwanda
Section snippets
Survey design
The SOSAS survey tool is modeled on DHS surveys as well as the WHO Guidelines for Conducting Community Surveys for Injuries and Violence. A research group comprising 46 international surgeons and public health experts provided input during the SOSAS development project. Designed for direct computer-based entry, a functional pilot of the study evaluating the ease and utility of use on iPad tablets was conducted in Sierra Leone in August 2011.13 Local adaptations were made on the basis of
Demographics
Figure 1 shows the location of the 52 sampled clusters based upon GPS coordinates taken at the index household. A total of 1626 households were sampled with a 99% response rate. A household representative completed the first section of the survey regarding overall household demographics, access to medical care, and household deaths. Table I summarizes the demographics of the survey. The mean household size was 4.67 individuals with 59.9% having a female household representative. Each household
Discussion
This study represents the first implementation of a nationwide survey to document the prevalence of operative conditions at the community level. A total of 6.4% of the study sample—corresponding to an estimated 675,000 Rwandans—were determined to currently need operative care, with nearly 15%—an estimated 1.6 million Rwandans—reporting an operative condition within the previous year.
The results of this survey have important implications for the global operative community, and, more importantly,
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Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) provided the survey tool, technical assistance, and funding for the logistical execution of the data collection, including the salaries of the interviewers and field supervisor. The UVA Department of Surgery provided funding for statistical analysis and consultative assistance with study design.