General Information:
- Injuries are responsible for 10% of all deaths worldwide.
- About 5.8 million people die from injuries worldwide every year.
- Injuries kill 32% more people around the world than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS combined.
- Injuries have an immeasurable impact on the families and communities affected.
- They are responsible for about 16% of all disabilities.
- Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of injury related deaths among young people, aged 15–29 years. Available global cost estimates show that the cost of road injuries annually is about US$518 billion.
- More than 90% of deaths that result from road traffic injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Road traffic crashes cost most countries 1-2% of their Gross National Product (GNP).
Relevance to the EM Physician:
Although road traffic injury deaths have decreased in some high-income countries, by 2030 it is predicted that they will be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, and the seventh leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) lost.
Bottom Line:
Developing trauma and acute care capacities in low and middle-income countries is of utmost importance to mitigate the global burden of injuries.
University of Maryland Section of Global Emergency Health
Author: Walid Hammad, MB ChB
References
World Health Organization, Global status report on road safety, 2013
World Health Organization, Injuries Violence The Facts, 2010