Wednesday, February 3, 2010

What Makes People Sick in Uganda? Or Kills Them?

I recently saw the following Top 10 Causes of Morbidity 2008-09 posted in a public health clinic and found it interesting. (I was puzzled by #1, simple "RTI." What disease would be abbreviated RTI? Thanks to Google, I learned it stands for Road Traffic Injuries, which I can well understand being high on the list from my own involvement in the traffic/transportation scene here.)

1) RTI (road traffic injuries) 38.8%
2) Malaria 31.9%
3) Worms 14.4%
4) Trauma 6.7%
5) Diarrhea 4.3%
6) Eye Conditions 3.8%
7) Ear, Nose, Throat Conditions 3.4%
8) Skin Condition 3.0%
9) Oral Disease 2.9%
10) STI/STD (sexually transmitted disease) 1.4

From a physician associated with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, I found the following Top 10 Causes of Morbidity. This list categorizes road accidents differently.
1) Malaria
2) Acute Respiratory Disease excluding pneumonia
3) Worms
4) Diarrhea
5) Trauma
6) Lower Respirator Disease including pneumonia
7) Skin Disease
8) Eye Disease
9) Anemia
10) Ear Infection

And, finally -- and I do mean finally -- the Top 10 Causes of Mortality in Uganda, according to a 2004 World Health Organization report, using 2002 statistics.
1) HIV AIDS 25%
2) Malaria 11%
3) Lower Respiratory Infection 11%
4) Diarrhea 8%
5) Perinatal Condition 4%
6) TB 4%
7) Cerebrovascular Disease 3%
8) Ischemia Heart Disease 3%
9) Measles 2%
10) Tetanus 2%

The average life expectancy is 48 for men and 51 for women.

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