Prevalence, incidence, repair rate, and morbidity of groin hernias in Sierra Leone: cross-sectional household study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about the prevalence of groin hernias in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Previous studies have demonstrated a higher incidence of the condition than the annual repair rate. This study aimed to investigate prevalence, incidence, annual repair rate, morbidity, and health-seeking behaviour of persons with groin hernias in Sierra Leone. METHODS: This population-based, cross-sectional household survey on groin hernias in Sierra Leone was part of the Prevalence Study on Surgical Conditions 2020 (PRESSCO 2020). Those who indicated possible groin hernia were asked problem-specific questions and underwent physical examination to confirm or exclude the diagnosis. RESULTS: 3626 study participants were interviewed. The prevalence of untreated groin hernia was 1.1 per cent (95 per cent c.i. 0.8 to 1.5 per cent), whereas the prevalence of untreated and treated groin hernia was 2.5 per cent (95 per cent c.i. 2.0 to 3.0 per cent). The proportion of recurrence was 13.1 per cent. An incidence of 389 (95 per cent c.i. 213 to 652) groin hernia cases per 100 000 people per year was identified, while a population-based annual hernia repair rate estimation was 470 (95 per cent c.i. 350 to 620) per 100 000 people. Out of 39 participants with groin hernia, non-ignorable pain was reported by eight and 27 reported financial shortcomings as a reason for not seeking healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Groin hernias are common in Sierra Leone and although the repair rate might match the incidence, the existing backlog of untreated hernias is likely to remain. It may be possible to reduce the number of recurrences through improved management. Measures to reduce financial barriers to treatment seem crucial to improve the health of people with groin hernias in Sierra Leone.

PREvalence Study on Surgical COnditions (PRESSCO) 2020: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Countrywide Survey on Surgical Conditions in Post-Ebola Outbreak Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the burden of diseases requiring surgical care at national levels is essential to advance universal health coverage. The PREvalence Study on Surgical COnditions (PRESSCO) 2020 is a cross-sectional household survey to estimate the prevalence of physical conditions needing surgical consultation, to investigate healthcare-seeking behavior, and to assess changes from before the West African Ebola epidemic. METHODS: This study (ISRCTN: 12353489) was built upon the Surgeons Overseas Surgical Needs Assessment (SOSAS) tool, including expansions. Seventy-five enumeration areas from 9671 nationwide clusters were sampled proportional to population size. In each cluster, 25 households were randomly assigned and visited. Need for surgical consultations was based on verbal responses and physical examination of selected household members. RESULTS: A total of 3,618 individuals from 1,854 households were surveyed. Compared to 2012, the prevalence of individuals reporting one or more relevant physical conditions was reduced from 25 to 6.2% (95% CI 5.4-7.0%) of the population. One-in-five conditions rendered respondents unemployed, disabled, or stigmatized. Adult males were predominantly prone to untreated surgical conditions (9.7 vs. 5.9% women; p < 0.001). Financial constraints were the predominant reason for not seeking care. Among those seeking professional health care, 86.7% underwent surgery. CONCLUSION: PRESSCO 2020 is the first surgical needs household survey which compares against earlier study data. Despite the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak, which profoundly disrupted the national healthcare system, a substantial reduction in reported surgical conditions was observed. Compared to one-time measurements, repeated household surveys yield finer granular data on the characteristics and situations of populations in need of surgical treatment.

Evaluating the cascade of care for hypertension in Sierra Leone.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the care for hypertension in Sierra Leone, by the use of a cascade-of-care approach, to identify where the need for healthcare system interventions is greatest. METHODS: Using data from a nationwide household survey on surgical conditions undertaken in 1956 participants ≥18 years from October 2019 to March 2020, a cascade of care for hypertension consisting of four categories - hypertensive population, those diagnosed, those treated and those controlled - was constructed. Hypertension was defined as having a blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg, or self-reported use of antihypertensive medication. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 22%. Among those with hypertension, 23% were diagnosed, 11% were treated and 5% had controlled blood pressure. The largest loss to care (77%) was between being hypertensive and receiving a diagnosis. Male sex, age and living in a rural location, were significantly associated with the odds of undiagnosed hypertension. There was no significant difference between men and women in the number of patients with controlled blood pressure. Adults aged 40 or older were observed to be better retained in care compared with those younger than 40 years of age. CONCLUSION: There is a significant loss to care in the care cascade for hypertension in Sierra Leone. Our results suggest that increasing awareness of cardiovascular risk and risk factor screening for early diagnosis might have a large impact on hypertension care.