Effectiveness of Peer Support on Limb-Loss Survivor Recovery and Empowerment in Post-Conflict Settings

Survivors of landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict settings face multiple challenges influencing their capacity to recover from their injuries. Amputees struggle with poor health and/or poorly constructed prostheses, scarce economic resources, and disempowerment. Since 1997 Survivor Corps (previously known as Landmine Survivors Network) has operated a peer support outreach program to provide comprehensive amputee-to-amputee peer support in countries heavily affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance. Peer outreach workers who are limb-loss survivors trained in techniques of peer support, act as role models to help other amputees in their recovery either through individual household visits or in group settings. The program focuses on addressing barriers and obstacles that amputees face in post-conflict settings. Beneficiaries of Survivor Corps' peer outreach program report significantly improved health-related quality of life following 12 months of peer support from trained community outreach workers, as measured by the internationally recognized SF-36®. Through an initial and 12-month follow-up questionnaire, survivors also report increased social empowerment (defined as increased knowledge about human rights and legally mandated entitlements and increased participation in community events). Improved mental and physical health enables survivors with limb loss and other traumatic injuries to participate in rebuilding their communities and aid in the process of post-conflict reconciliation. Empowering individual survivors to claim their rights and draw attention to issues of inclusion is a key component to enabling survivors to improve their health and communities.