PREVALENCE OF PERCEIVED MORBmITY IN ADDIS ZEMEN TOWN, ETHOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A morbidity interoiew-survey was conducted in Addis Zemen, North-Western Ethiopia. Four hundred (20%) of the households (1710 people) were randomly selected to praticipate in the survey, to test the recall of recent health problems during a four week period. 310 people (18%) of the sample reported health problems, particularly of the digestive, visual, musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Morbidity varied with age and sex. There were relatively higher reports of morbidity in the preschoolage as well as during later life. There was also a preponderence of females ( 12%) versus males (6%) reporting illnesses as a consequence of which adults lost 0.65 days of work per month per person, estimated at 8.0 days per year. Only 7.9% of persons reporting illnesses were disabled for three or more days, while over half of those reporting illness utilized medical care, with a preference for modem medicine, 40% failed to utilize any fonn of medical care. The major reason given was cost.