Armed conflict can lead to injury, trauma, and long-term disability. The war in Tigray caused widespread civilian harm, yet population-level evidence on conflict-related disability remains limited. This study aimed to identify and estimate the prevalence and distribution of war associated civilian disability in Tigray. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 1 to 30, 2023, across 19 districts in six zones of Tigray. A total of 13,915 households were selected using a stratified multistage cluster sampling approach with a response rate above 95%. Adult respondents, primarily women or caregivers, provided information on all household members. Disability was assessed using a structured questionnaire based on the Washington Group Short Set covering six functional domains: seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care, and communication. Individuals reporting “a lot of difficulty” or “cannot do at all” in at least one domain were classified as having a disability. War associated disability was defined as a functional limitation that occurred after November 2020 and was self-reported as directly related to conflict events. Overall, 592 households (4.25%) reported at least one member with war associated disability. At the individual level, 1212 persons (1.8%) were affected. Men had the highest prevalence (3.09%), followed by older adults (1.06%) and women (1.04%), while under-five children accounted for 0.1%. The highest burden was observed in Mekelle zone. Extrapolated to the regional population, an estimated 127,800 individuals and 68,580 households were affected. War associated civilian disability in Tigray represents a substantial public health burden, disproportionately affecting men, older adults, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Strengthening disability inclusive health services, rehabilitation, and targeted social support is essential for post conflict recovery.
DEMOZ et al. (Mon,) studied this question.