1. Injury: A Global Perspective Steve Amaefuna B.A.
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Presented April 23, 2017, New Orleans, LA, USA
2018 ThinkFirst Conference on Inury Prevention

2. 14,000 people die every day due to injury
Source: WHO Injuries and Violence the Facts , 2014

3. Causes of Global Injury Mortality
Falls
Suicide
Other unintentional injury
Road traffic injury
Although due to a number of causes including…nearly 25% of global injury mortality results from traffic accidents
Source: WHO Global Health Estimates, 2014

4. Road Traffic Injury Leading cause of death in individuals ages 15-29
3% of Global GDP
Will be 7th overall leading cause of death by 2030
Source: WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015

5. Trends In Global Road Traffic Mortality
Global plateau in 2007
4% increase in population
16% increase in registered vehicles
Improved legislation
Speeding
Drunk-driving
Helmet use
Seat-belts
Child restraints
Social marketing campaigns
Click It or Ticket
Still No Decline
Source: WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015

6. One of the main reasons lies in the fact that there is distinct imbalance in the distribution of road traffic mortality
90% of global traffic injury deaths occur in low/middle income countries
Low/middle income countries only account for 54% of registered vehicles
Source: WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015

7. Trends In Global Road Traffic Mortality
9.2
17.3
8.1
This unfortunate pattern grows clearer when you compare fatality rates between different regions of the globe
Center blue is the international average which was 17.4 in 2013
When you compare that to regions with much higher rates like Africa as well as regions with much lower rates like Europe
However, when you compare Africa to Europe, the difference in fatality rates almost doubles
9.2 between Africa and world
8.1 between Europe and World
17.3 between Africa and Europe
Large disparity seen in death rates between high and low/middle income countries
Source: WHO Global Status Report on Health Safety, 2015

8. Trends In Global Road Traffic Mortality
United States
Not only is there a difference in regional fatality rates themselves, but you can also see a distinct difference in the overall trajectory of fatality rates in high vs low/middle income countries
Motorization in low/middle income countries is outpacing the creation of road safety initiatives
Sources: Cambodia: India: USA: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

9. Global Traumatic Brain Injury
60% of global TBI is due to road traffic incidents (RTIs)
20 – 30% due to falls
10% due to violence
Source: Hyder AA, Wunderlich CA, Puvanachandra P, Gururaj G, Kobusingye OC. The impact of traumatic brain injuries: a global perspective. NeuroRehabilitation. 2007;22(5):

10. Global Traumatic Brain Injury
Netherlands
51%
USA
13.7%
Mexico
43%
India
59%
Brazil
41%
Comparative rates of TBI due to RTI around the world
Sources: Peeters, Wouter et al. “Epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury in Europe.” Acta Neurochirurgica  (2015): 1683–1696. PMC. Web. 10 Apr
Hyder AA, Wunderlich CA, Puvanachandra P, Gururaj G, Kobusingye OC. The impact of traumatic brain injuries: A global perspective. NeuroRehabilitation. 2007;22(5):
Taylor CA, Bell JM, Breiding MJ, Xu L. Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths - United States, 2007 and Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries. Mar ;66(9):1-16.

11. Understanding The Gaps
Accessibility of emergency services
Varying levels of post-crash care
Lack of centralized emergency services number
Inconsistent road-traffic accident data collection
Deficits in education and law enforcement
ThinkFirst International
Global surge in road infrastructure and vehicle use

12. Sharing information on the international experience with TBI
Addressing The Gaps
Data collection and analysis is essential in assessing the progress of interventions and tailoring prevention efforts
Sharing information on the international experience with TBI

13. Join other countries in providing injury prevention
educational programs: Start a ThinkFirst Chapter.
Apply to obtain training and program materials:
See Chapters/Start a Chapter