Epidemiology of Arthritis in Nigeria and Uganda: A Comparative Analysis
Masika Anna Mahinda
Department of Pharmacy Kampala International University Uganda
Email: mahindamasika@studwc.kiu.ac.ug
ABSTRACT
Arthritis is an important, often under-recognized public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), contributing to pain, disability, reduced productivity, and increased health-system use. Nigeria and Uganda, two populous SSA countries with differing demographic structures, urbanization patterns, health-system capacities, and infectious disease burdens, offer a useful lens for comparing arthritis epidemiology. This review synthesizes available evidence on the burden, patterns, determinants, and health-system implications of arthritis in Nigeria and Uganda. We compare prevalence estimates, subtype distribution (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathies, gout, juvenile idiopathic arthritis), risk-factor profiles, urban–rural gradients, gender and age distributions, and diagnostic/treatment gaps. We also highlight key methodological limitations (case definitions, sampling frames, under-diagnosis, limited imaging/laboratory access) and propose a pragmatic research and surveillance agenda. Overall, osteoarthritis appears to be the most commonly reported arthritis subtype in both settings, with higher burden among women and older adults, while inflammatory arthritis remains underdiagnosed and underreported due to limited specialist access and diagnostic capacity. Context-specific prevention strategies (obesity control, injury prevention, occupational ergonomics), improved case detection (validated screening tools, primary-care training), and registry-based surveillance are priorities.
Keywords: Arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, spondyloarthritis, epidemiology, Nigeria, Uganda, Sub-Saharan Africa
CITE AS: Masika Anna Mahinda (2026). Epidemiology of Arthritis in Nigeria and Uganda: A Comparative Analysis. IDOSR JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 11(2):1-6. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJSR/2026/11.2.16