Investigating the cause of limb amputation in physical rehabilitation reference center

Abstract

South Sudan, the newest African nation where firearms are owned almost by all men has always been experiencing waves of conflict since independence. Egypt which tried to colonize the country in the 1870s divided it into regions with Equatoria where the country’s capital city is located has always been a combat zone. Since then several firearms have continued to be used by both soldiers and the civil populace. Anti-personnel landmines and items of explosive ordnance that were either planted/left before or during these conflicts have caused many injuries to the country’s population. Many of these affected individuals have potentially lost their limbs. Nonetheless, an estimated 30% of amputees to whom the International Committee of the Red Cross has been delivering prosthetic limbs since 2008 were said to be landmine patients. Cattle raids alongside inter-communal fighting are quite common in South Sudan’s States and Central Equatoria State where Juba belongs. Road traffic accidents, particularly in the streets of Juba City where speeding is not well controlled by the concerned authority, are equally common. These and many others have led to limb amputations. Marriages and relationships are perhaps terminated the affected families experience hunger since a man is considered to be the main breadwinner. The World Health Organization has estimated the number of people living with limb loss in South Sudan to be 0.714% of the country’s 12 million population as per the 2012 report. Though traumatic injuries are thought to be topping the table, non-traumatic injuries are also on the rise. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has removed and destroyed nearly 40 thousand anti-personnel landmines and more than 1 million items of explosive ordinance in the Country, according to their report. What is the leading cause of amputation? Which sex or age group is the most affected by limb loss in South Sudan? What effects does limb loss inflict upon the life of an individual and the family? These were the steering wheels of this research.