A household morbidity survey in rural Africa

A household morbidity interview survey with 2,000 randomly selected households (14,729 people) in rural Ghana is reported for a two-week recall period; 20-8 percent of people reported some illness, injury or disability. This prevalence is lower than reported during surveys in Columbia, USA, Britain and Australia. Adults averaged 0-5 days lost from work, which results in an estimated annual work loss of 13-4 days. The reported illness varied markedly with age, with a peak in middle-aged adults and females in their reproductive years. The use of clinic services varied with age (they were sought particularly for pre-school children), type of condition, and accessibility. The use of drug sellers was surprisingly high, about half that of clinic attendance, and increased in those geographical areas where clinics were least accessible.