title: Baseline health conditions in selected communities of northern Sierra Leone as revealed by the health impact assessment of a biofuel project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As biofuel projects may be associated with positive and negative effects on people's health and wellbeing, a health impact assessment was performed for the Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL) project. We present data from the baseline health survey, which will provide a point of departure for future monitoring and evaluation activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  In December 2010, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in eight potentially affected communities. A broad set of clinical and parasitological indicators were assessed using standardised, quality-controlled procedures, including anthropometry and prevalence of anaemia, Plasmodium falciparum and helminth infections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete datasets were obtained from 1221 individuals of 194 households and eight schools. Of children aged <5 years (n=586), 41.8% were stunted, 23.2% were underweight and 4.8% were wasted. Very high prevalences of anaemia and P. falciparum were found in children aged 6-59 months (n=571; 86.1% and 74.0%, respectively). Overall, 73.7% of women of reproductive age (n=395) were anaemic. In school-aged children (n=240), 27.9% had light- to moderate-intensity hookworm infections, whereas Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Schistosoma mansoni were rare (<3% each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detailed description of the baseline health conditions, in combination with future health surveys, will deepen the understanding of how a biofuel project impacts on community health in a rural setting in sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland mirko.winkler@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Mirko S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Astrid M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Knoblauch
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aurélie A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Righetti
authors.affiliation: SHAPE Consulting Ltd, Pretoria 0062, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Divall
authors.affiliation: Northern Polytechnic, P.O. Box 32, Makeni, Sierra Leone.
authors.forename: Manso M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Koroma
authors.affiliation: Helen Keller International, P.O. Box 369, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fofanah
authors.affiliation: Helen Keller International, P.O. Box 369, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Turay
authors.affiliation: Helen Keller International, P.O. Box 369, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Utzinger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D056804:Biofuels / Q000633:toxicity*; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D062489:Health Impact Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology; D012807:Sierra Leone / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels
keywords: Anaemia; Health impact assessment; Helminth infection; Malaria; Nutritional status; Sierra Leone