Health data from Operation Resolute (Bosnia). Part 1: Primary care data

This paper describes routine sickness events occurring during Weeks 1-19 of Operation Resolute (Bosnia). The period covered is 20 December 1995 to 28 April 1996. Primary care data were collected and analysed through an HQ ARRC epidemiological surveillance system which encompassed all British personnel in theatre. There was a total of 17,054 primary care consultations in the British force, which at its peak in late January numbered 10,832 personnel. 11,472 of these consultations were due to disease (67% of the total) and 5568 to non-battle injury (32% of the total). The observed rate of sickness due to disease was close to the predicted rate, which was 1.35% of the force per day. The observed rate of sickness due to non-battle injury was between 6 and 10 times higher than the predicted rate of 0.05% of the force per day. There were only 14 primary care consultations due to battle injury.