Prevalence and age-specific incidence of burns in Ghanaian children

The incidence of burns in developing countries is not precisely known due to unavailability or incompleteness of death registration and disease reporting. In this study, we determined prevalence and age-specific incidence of burns in children 0-5 years in the Ashanti region of Ghana using burn scars as proxy. We used a community-based, multi-site survey to identify children who had scars as evidence of previous burns. A scar prevalence of 6 per cent was found. No sex differences were found. However, significant differences were found among age groups, with children aged 18-23 months having the highest incidence (57.4 per 1000 person-years). There was evidence of focal occurrence of childhood burns in certain districts, and a higher prevalence in rural areas. We conclude that childhood burns are a significant health problem in Ghana, especially among rural residents and the very young, and recommend that interventions be developed to control them.