Study title: Fractures in Sub-Saharan Africa: epidemiology, economic impact and ethnography

Lead Researcher(s)

Celia Gregson, Rashida Ferrand, Munyaradzi Ndekwere  

Funder(s)

NIHR-Wellcome Partnership for Global Health Research

Partner(s): University of KwaZulu-Natal, MRC The Gambia, University of Bristol, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield, Harare City Health, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Chitungwiza Hospital, Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Background

As populations in Africa age, the risk of fragility fractures is predicted to increase. Fractures can have devastating consequences, including pain, disability, and sometimes death, and they also impose significant strain on healthcare services. Therefore, there is a need for a better understanding of fractures to effectively plan future healthcare services.

Study Aim(s)

In South Africa, Zimbabwe, and The Gambia the study aimed to:

Determine how frequently two key age-related fractures occur: vertebral fractures (the most common) and hip fractures (the most life-challenging), along with their associated risk factors.

Assess recovery, disability, pain, quality of life, and deaths following hip fractures, and identify factors that improve patient outcomes.

Calculate the current cost of fractures to health services and model future health costs.

Gather insights from patients and healthcare workers about their experiences to identify ways to improve fracture care in the future.

Study design

This study is an international mixed-methods study using cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs together with ethnographic study to investigate the epidemiology, economic impact and ethnography of fractures in The Gambia and Zimbabwe.

Study dates

2020 - 2026