ILLNESS BURDEN AND USE OF HEALTH-SERVICES IN A RURAL-COMMUNITY, SOUTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA

An interview-survey of perceived morbidity in a rural community in sou th-western Ethiopia was conducted in partial fulfilment of the phased teaching objectives of the under graduate commmunity-based medical edu cation in Jimma. Institute or Health Sciences. Two hundred and seventy household heads were randomly selected to participate in the study, t o examine the recall of recent health problems during a two-week perio d and actions sought for. Of the respondents, 65% reported illness whi ch varied with age and sex. From those reporting illness, 55.4% did no t take any action while 30.3% applied to health institutions. Self car e and use of traditional healers were reported to be 9.2% and 5.2% res pectively. The survey demonstrated a huge burden of perceived morbidit y in a rural community for which the sick did nothing much indicating a large amount to unmet needs for the health delivery system, and furt her study on patterns of illness behaviour.