Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115812

Khurram Nasir, MD, International Health, The Johns Hopkins University, 5030 Centre Ave A52, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 443-413-6350, knasir1@jhmi.edu, Adnan Hyder, MD, MPH, School of Hygiene and Public Health- Dept. of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, E-8132, Baltimore, MD 21205, Tayyeb I. Masud, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite E-8132, Baltimore, MD 21205, and Abdul Ghaffar, MD, MPH, MHA, Health Systems, Global Forum for Health Research, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.

Background: The Afghan Refugee Injury Survey (ARIS) was undertaken to define the impact of injuries in the long-term Afghan refugee population residing in Pakistan.

Methods: ARIS is a cross-sectional survey administrated on a representative sample of households in selected refugee camps in Pakistan. The definition of injury was any injury on any part of the body, in the last 3-months resulting in seeking of treatment in a health care setting, or the inability to perform at least half a day of usual work. Any deaths that occurred due to injuries in the past year were counted.

Results: 1123 households with 8809 persons (51% males, mean age 20±17 years) were surveyed. 112 persons (1.27% 95% CI=1.0-1.5%) were injured over a 3-month recall period (69% in males), reflecting an all-injury incidence of 51/ 1000 persons/year. 69% of all injuries occurred in individuals aged 5-29 years, and almost half of all injuries took place at home. The highest numbers of injuries were fall related and three quarters of all injured individuals were hospitalized with no overall gender difference. 87% of injured required personal care. Overall 46 deaths were recalled in the last 1-year, with only 4 deaths related to injuries resulting in 8.6% proportionate mortality for injuries.

Conclusions: Our study provides epidemiological profile of injuries in Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The results of the survey will be used to inform public health providers to support injury prevention as a component of refugee health care.

Learning Objectives: