Disability and the need for rehabilitative facilities in the young Albanian population of the Lezha district

In order to implement a community-based rehabilitation programme in the rural district of Lezha (Albania), a systematic survey to assess disabilities and related care needs of people under 18 years of age was carried out. The aim of the survey was to evaluate the prevalence rates and severity of disabilities, detected by means of a questionnaire issued by the WHO Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme. The prevalence of disabled people under 18 years of age was 5.86 per 1000 (180 subjects out of the estimated population of 30,712). The most frequent diagnosis was sequelae of infantile cerebral palsy (1.8 per 1000), followed by mental retardation and deafness. The results of the survey stress that the severe non-self sufficiency of these subjects could be improved by means of an appropriate programme to increase their autonomy, including rehabilitation treatment and early school attendance.