180 lines
6 KiB
YAML
180 lines
6 KiB
YAML
abstract: 'Injuries are common and on increase in most developing countries,
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including sub-Saharan Africa. A large proportion of the injuries are
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caused by road traffic accidents, falls, burns, assaults, bites, stings
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and other animal-related injuries, poisonings, drownings/near-drownings
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and suicide. Globally, injuries are responsible for about five per cent
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of the total mortality, and the overall global annual costs were
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estimated in the late 1980s at around US\$500 billion. The burden and
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pattern of injuries in Africa and other developing areas are poorly
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known and not well studied. The incidence is on the increase, partly due
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to rapid growth of motorised transport and to expansion of industrial
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production without adequate safety precautions. This is a review of data
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on various kinds of injuries in developing countries with a focus on
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sub-Saharan Africa. A computerised search of the relevant literature
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published between 1985 and 1998 was conducted and a manual search of
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journals publishing texts on health in low-income countries and in
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tropical environments was also done. A few studies on injury prevention
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policy and on research related to injury epidemiology and prevention
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have also been identified and included. Bt is concluded that in a
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relatively typical East African area with a total mortality rate of
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1,300/130,000/year, injuries are likely to cause around 100 of these
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deaths. The corresponding total rate of significant injuries is
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estimated at 40,000/100,000/year with a breakdown as tabulated below.
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Estimated incidence of injuries and injury-related deaths in East Africa
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{[}GRAPHICS]
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Although a few surveys and other investigations of injuries have been
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conducted over the years, injury epidemiology and control remain
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under-researched and relatively neglected subject areas. Much needs to
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be done. Collection and analysis of injury data need to be standardised,
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for example regarding age groups, gender disaggregation and severity.
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Injuries and accidents should be subdivided in at least road traffic
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injury, fall, burn, assault, poisoning, drowning, suicide, homicide and
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others, and details regarding time and place, victim and main cause
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should be noted. Morbidity survey field staff should be informed that
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injuries are part of the illness concept and that questions should be
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asked accordingly. Details regarding the circumstances surrounding
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different injuries must be known to those who develop preventive
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programmes. Injury is a public health problem affecting some people more
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than others. Our ordinary environment - the home, the work-site, the
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street or road - represents various kinds of risk, and some of these are
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difficult to eliminate. Not only do we have to accept much of our
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environment with its existing houses, equipment, vehicles, transport
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systems, energy supply, toxic substances etcetera, many also suffer from
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various inherited or acquired conditions that increase the risk. We
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therefore need to develop safer and more ``forgiving{''''} living
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environments where ordinary people can live and move around safely.
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Injury control activities may focus on different categories of injury.
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Road safety measures often include information and education campaigns,
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improved driver training, road design and maintenance, regular vehicle
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safety checks, separation of pedestrians from vehicle traffic, speed
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limits, safety belt, air-bag and helmet use, special training and
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control of public service vehicle drivers, bicycle lane separation, road
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lighting, reflectorised materials on clothing, review of the road
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traffic related legislation and law enforcement, and emergency medical
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services improvement. Domestic injuries can be prevented for example
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with window guards, child barriers at stairs, smoke detectors, clothes
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and furniture in less flammable materials, replacement of open stoves,
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stabilising of open lamps, fire-fighting equipment and practice,
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child-proof poison packaging and storage, safe disposal of toxic waste,
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home safety education of parents, and strict building code enforcement.
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Occupational injuries can largely be prevented if well adapted to the
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work environment. Research is required in several areas. An improved
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facility-based injury recording and reporting system needs to be
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developed and tested. There is need to combine data collection methods,
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such as interview surveys, hospital records, police records, focus group
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discussions and key informant interviews. The outcome of emergency
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medical care and of different forms of transport and referral needs to
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be determined. Different combinations of preventive interventions needs
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to be evaluated. This review is intended as guidance for those who need
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a broad overview of the subject of injury occurrence and prevention in
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Africa, for example in preparation for the development of injury control
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programmes or to help identify issues requiring further research in this
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field.'
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affiliation: 'Nordberg, E (Corresponding Author), African Med \& Res Fdn, POB 30125,
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Nairobi, Kenya.
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African Med \& Res Fdn, Nairobi, Kenya.'
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author: Nordberg, E
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author_list:
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- family: Nordberg
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given: E
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da: '2023-09-28'
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files: []
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issn: 0012-835X
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journal: EAST AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL
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keywords-plus: 'ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS; RURAL SWEDISH MUNICIPALITY; NORTHEASTERN OHIO
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TRAUMA; DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES; THIRD-WORLD; SRI-LANKA; CHILDHOOD BURNS;
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UNITED-STATES; RISK-FACTORS; UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES'
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language: English
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month: DEC
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number: 12, S
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number-of-cited-references: '372'
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pages: S1-S43
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papis_id: d662f65fedfbb12ad7f68a0d567c52b4
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ref: Nordberg2000injuriespublic
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tags:
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- review
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times-cited: '72'
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title: 'Injuries as a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa: Epidemiology and
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prospects for control'
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type: Review
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unique-id: WOS:000166195100001
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usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
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usage-count-since-2013: '36'
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volume: '77'
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web-of-science-categories: Medicine, General \& Internal
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year: '2000'
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