Common pediatric surgical conditions and associated health-seeking behaviors in Pakistan: An urban and rural comparative assessment

Authors

Saqib Hamid Qazi, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Syed Saqlain Ali Meerza, Aga Khan University
Sohail Asghar Dogar, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Sohail Lakhani, Aga Khan University
Mushtaq Mirani, Aga Khan University
Saleem Islam, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Sadaf Khan, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Muhammad Khan Jamali, Aga Khan University
Sajid Muhammad, Aga Khan University
Sadaf Khan, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Anjum Abbas, Aga Khan University
Zahid Ali Khan, Aga Khan University
Sana Khatoon, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Imtiaz Sheikh, Aga Khan University
Rasool Bux, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Rafey Ali, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Hassan Naqvi, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Arjumand Rizvi, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Imran Ahmed, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Rizwan Haroon Rashid, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Syed Akbar Abbas, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Abdul Sami Memon, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Saadia Tabassum, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Zara Bhatti, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Abdur Rehman, Aga Khan University
Sajid Bashir Soofi, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Jai K. Das, Aga Khan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Institute for Global Health and Development; Ophthalmology; Paediatrics and Child Health; Surgery; General Surgery; Paediatric Surgery; Orthopaedic Surgery; Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Medicine

Abstract

Approximately five billion people do not have access to necessary surgical treatment globally and up to 85% of children in LMICs are affected with conditions requiring surgical care by the age of 15 years. It is crucial to identify common surgical conditions in children in Pakistan to inform healthcare professionals and policymakers for effective resource allocation. This representative cross-sectional household survey conducted on children aged 5-10 years assessed existing surgical diseases and healthcare-seeking behaviors in the two largest provinces (Sindh and Punjab) of Pakistan. The data was collected through a validated cross-sectional survey tool [Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS)]. Caregivers were asked about their child's recent and past surgical conditions in six distinct anatomical regions and pictures were taken of identified conditions after appropriate consent for further diagnosis. Health-seeking behaviors including the kind of treatment sought, the nature of care received, and the reasons for not receiving care were noted. 13.5% of children surveyed reported a surgical condition, with a similar distribution across urban (13.2%) and rural (13.7) areas and the most common cause was trauma. The greatest number of surgical conditions were found to be on the head and neck region (57.7%), while the back accounted for the least number of conditions (1.7%). Our results outline a need for organizing all entities (governmental, non-governmental, and private) involved in child health to ensure efficient resource allocation to cater to existing surgical problems.

Publication (Name of Journal)

PLOS Global Public Health

DOI

doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003327

Recommended Citation

Qazi, S. H., Meerza, S. A., Dogar, S. A., Lakhani, S., Mirani, M., Islam, S., Khan, S., Jamali, M. K., Muhammad, S., Khan, S., Abbas, A., Khan, Z. A., Khatoon, S., Sheikh, I., Bux, R., Ali, R., Naqvi, H., Rizvi, A., Ahmed, I., Rashid, R. H., Abbas, S. A., Memon, A. S., Tabassum, S., Bhatti, Z., Rehman, A., Soofi, S. B., Das, J. K. (2024). Common pediatric surgical conditions and associated health-seeking behaviors in Pakistan: An urban and rural comparative assessment. PLOS Global Public Health, 4(9), 1-13.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_paediatr/203