Disability is a major public health problem, particularly in developing countries, where there is a close link between poverty and disability. The complex nature of disability allows it to be addressed from a number of different perspectives. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is a holistic approach towards disability which is currently being supported in many parts of the world, including Papua New Guinea (PNG). Unfortunately CBR is frequently implemented in resource-poor contexts, which limits the scope for research. As a result little effort is put into determining a need before CBR programs are established, or into evaluating CBR programs following implementation. This research in the Middle Ramu, Madang Province, tested a method for acquiring information for the purposes of CBR planning in PNG. The method used an adapted form of the Ten Questions Screen for Childhood Disability. Quantitative and qualitative methods were further utilized to determine the types of disability presenting, the biomedical and perceived causes of the various disabilities, help-seeking behaviours, the disabled individual's participation in village activities, and the needs of both disabled individuals and their caregivers. A total of 158 disabled individuals were identified in a population of 4946 people and 20 in-depth interviews were conducted. The data obtained were analyzed to formulate an appropriate 'CBR package' that would cater for the specific needs of this population in the Middle Ramu. Evaluation of the basic survey method revealed that it was more sensitive than other methods previously tried in PNG, with an overall disability prevalence of 3.2% obtained. Qualitative methods allowed the fieldworkers to get a much deeper insight into the feelings and perceptions of disabled individuals. The methods tested for this research in the Middle Ramu could have application for CBR workers in other parts of PNG.
Disability, NOS ; Disabled Persons ; Median Site ; Research ; Rehabilitation aspects